LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 

Cha^K?T Copyright No. 

Shelf. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



The Way of Faith Illustrated 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY 



/ 

HI) YONG MI 

OF THE CHINA MISSION CONFERENCE 



JUL 



CINCINNATI : CURTS & JENNINGS 
NEW YORK : EATON & MAINS 



-- 



"O 






COPYRIGHT 

BY CURTS & JENNINGS, 

1896. 




CONTENTS, 



CHAPTER I. 

Birth and Early Years. 

Birth and Ancestry — Brothers and Sisters — Card-playing — 
Fear of the the Results of Gambling — Divination with 
Bamboo-slips — Clerk in an Opium-shop — Keeping a Pic- 
ture-store — Helped by the Holy Spirit, PAGE 7 

CHAPTER II. 

Youthful Habits. 

Youthful Habits — Meditative and Studious — Buddhist and 
Tauist Ideas of Heaven and Hell — Troubled about Death 
and the Future — Fear of Evil Spirits — Resort to the God 
called " Municipal Guardian " — Also to the " Dragon 
King" — Rats invade, the "Great King" — His Parents 
seek the Protection of Idols — Finds the New Testa- 
ment — Ignorant of the Power and Dove of Jesus — His 
Father declaims against Idolatry, 15 

CHAPTER HI. 

Mental Struggles. 

P6 Mi Visits a Christian Chapel — Discussion Between the 
Two Brothers — Ancestral Worship and Filial Piety — The 
True Object of Worship — Mental Struggles — "Heaven's 
Book " — Christ commended — Yong Mi runs away from 
his Brother's Argument, 27 

CHAPTER IV. 

Missionary Influence. 

Missionaries pray with the Sick Father — Yong Mi pleads 
with the Goddess of Mercy for Help— First Visit to a 
Christian Church — Good Impressions — Decides to be a 
Christian — A Happy Household — Destroys his Idol Pic- 
tures — Preaches his First Sermon, 34 



4 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER V. 

Christian Life. 

First Joyous Christian Experiences — Learns from Dr. Ma- 
clay to Study the Bible on his Knees— Grows in Knowl- 
edge of the Scriptures — Longing for Purity — Struggle 
with Remaining Sin — Plans for Holy Living—Self-exam- 
ination — Despondent Feelings -His Father's Death — 
Assurance of Pardon — Joys of Salvation, . . . Page 40 

CHAPTER VI. 

A Lay Preacher. 

Prosperous as a Picture-painter — Lay Preaching — Persecu- 
tion — Cheng Mi's Difficulties in Trying to be a Chris- 
tian — Violent Opposition of Kin Taik's Mother — Kin 
Taik Baptized— Yong Mi goes with Dr. Gibson to 
Preach, 54 

CHAPTER VII. 

Itinerating as a Preacher. 

Itinerating in Country Villages — Regularly appointed as a 
Preacher — Dr. Gibson's Prayer and its Answer — His Wife 
consents to an Itinerant's Life — Appointed to Teng 
Kan — The Rev. William Burns— His Lovely Character — 
His Great Influence, 68 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Circuit Preaching. 

Appointed to Ngu Kang — Sorrowful Parting — Studying the 
Bible with Mr. Burns— Humble View of his Own (jualifica- 
tions — Interested Listeners — Circuit Preaching — A Wel- 
come Rain- The " Spirit's Table" — Increasing Member- 
ship — Church Building — Tribute to Dr. Gibson — Chapel 
built at Kwi Hung — Li Yu' Mi becomes a Preacher En- 
emies Full of Devices — Sickness — Visit to Ing Hok — 
Cheng Mi suspended on a Tree — Quaint Advice to an 
Unkempt Wood-cutter — Reflections, 78 

CHAPTER IX. 

Results of Preaching. 

Preaching at Ching Sing Tong — Attentive Audiences — Con- 
versions — Divisions among Christians — Inquirers from 
Teng Yong — A Plain Exhortation — Death of a Convert — 
A Strange Dream — Idolatrous Relatives make Trouble — 
A Christian Funeral is held, 98 



CONTENTS. 5 

CHAPTER X. 

Persecutions. 

Appointed to East Street with Rev. Mr. Martin — A Serious 
Riot — Chapel and Mission Residence looted — Yong Mi 
and his Family roughly handled— Escape after Great 
Danger — Rioters arrested, but released — Yong Mi kept in 
Peace — Friends raised up in Time of Need — An Indem- 
nity Fund proves a Test of Character — A New Chapel 
built — Death of Rev. Mr. Martin— Demoniacal Posses- 
sions — Comforting Experience at a Communion Service — 
Death of a Daughter — Illness and Recovery of King 
Eng — Words of Bishop Thomson, Page 106 

CHAPTER XL 

AT Ming Chiang. 

Appointed to Ming Chiang — Great Curiosity among the Peo- 
ple—Wong Kin Mi assists in Preaching — Mercenary In- 
quirers make Trouble — Feud between Clans reconciled — 
Slanderous Reports awaken the Hostility of the Liter- 
ati — Courteous Treatment disarms Them — Itinerating 
through the District— His Young Son preaches — Travel- 
ing under Difficulty — An Uncomfortable Inn— Privations 
and Deliverances, 124 

CHAPTER XII. 

Struggles. 

Spiritual Longings — Struggles — Agony — Buffetings of Sa- 
tan — Deliverance, 136 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Appointed Presiding Elder. 

x\ppointed Presiding Elder — Spiritual Conflicts — Interview 
with a Backslider — Great Victory — Pleading for an Au- 
dible Voice — A Human Angel — Rapturous Experiences — 
Great Flood — Dangerous Traveling — Gratitude for De- 
liverance, 145 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Kucheng District. 

Presiding Elder of Kucheng District— Troubles among the 
Members — Itinerating in Country Villages — Bishop Wi- 
ley Visits Kucheng— Rev. D. W. Chandler— Chapel Build- 



6 CONTENTS. 

iug — Answers to Prayer — A Remarkable Picture — Serious 
Illness of a Son — Restoration to Health — Persecution — 
Appeal to the Civil Power or Prayer, Page 154 

CHAPTER XV. 

Fruits of Labor. 

Conversion of a Vagabond — He becomes a Zealous Chris- 
tian Worker — Idolatrous Processions a Heavy Burden to 
the People — Argument with Village Elders — Tiong 
Lung's Firmness and Victor}- — A Great Drouth — YongMi 
and the Christians pray for Rain — A Heavy Shower 
falls, 169 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Victories Won. 

Detention at Chiong Hu Pwang — An Old Man's Strange 
Story — His Remarkable Experiences — Troubles at Vong 
Ping — Fasting and Prayer Conquer — The Yamen be- 
comes a Preaching-place — Malicious Reports — Chapel at- 
tacked — Victory without Carnal Weapons — God's Hand 
recognized, 182 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Hok Chiang District. 

A Vision — Transferred from Kucheng to Hok Chiang — 
The Chapel not a very Pleasant Abode — Gladly received 
by the Members — Christians Disposed to Resort to Offi- 
cials against Persecutors — Yong Mi teaches a Better 
Way — Earnest Prayer — " Line upon Line, Precept upon 
Precept" — In Danger at Sea— Demoniacal Possessions — 
Progress— Prayers for Rain, 197 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Conclusion. 

Efforts to teach Sanitary Truth — His Mother's Sick- 
ness—Her Son ministers to Her — Bishop Bowman and 
the Conference attend the Funeral — More Troubles — 
Faithful Dealing — Lost Baggage — Patient Waiting — Gen- 
eral Summary of the Condition of the Hok Chiang Dis- 
trict — Bishop Merrill— The Hing-hwa District — Various 
Trials — How the Autobiography came to be Written — 
Conclusion, 219 

Last Years of Hii Yong Mi, 251 



The Way of Faith Illustrated. 



CHAPTER I. 
BIRTH, AND EARLY YEARS. 

IHU YONG MI, was born in the year of our 
y Lord, 1837, at Yon-tau, in the Ming District, 
in the prefecture of Foochow. My grandfather 
was a fortune-teller, soothsayer, and astrologer 
of wide reputation, and was frequently con- 
sulted by officials. My father did not wish to 
follow his father's business — preferring a mili- 
tary life. He became an officer, and com- 
manded a force whose business it was to pa- 
trol the streets at night and keep order. He 
frequently had the settlement of neighborhood 
troubles. His name was well known and re- 
spected far and near. Although the fortune of 
the house was very fair, he always dressed in 
plain cotton garments, and thus won the so- 
briquet, " Pank-ie," or "Officer Plain-clothes." 
In the time of the Tai-ping rebellion, when 
the local vagabonds of every place rebelled, he 
was appointed chief of a band organized to pro- 

7 



HU YONG MI. 



tect the surrounding villages. When peace 
was established he was titled, "Officer of the 
Fifth Rank." 

My mother,* whose maiden name was Ho, 
was familiarly called "Pwo-na," or "Mother 
Plain-clothes." She was hospitable to neighbors 
and relations, ever glad to minister help and 
succor to the poor and desolate. 

Of us children there were seven brothers and 
two sisters. The eldest brother, Po-Mi, was 
a son of my father's first wife, whose maiden 
surname was Li, and who died early. PS-Mi, 
entered the army and became captain of one 
hundred men. I, Yong Mi (named by my par- 
ents "Chiong," or " a fountain"), was the second 
son. 

I received license to preach in r86o, and was 
received on trial in the Vermont Conference, 
United States, in 1863. 

The third brother was Sing-Mi. Through 
grace unspeakable, my elder and younger 
brother, with myself, were, in 1869, ordained by 
Bishop Kingsley to deacons' orders, P6-Mi and 
I also to elders' orders. I, with my parents 
and others, had been baptized by Rev. R. S. 
Maclay and Rev. Otis Gibson, at the Church 
of the True God, Ching Sing Tong, on the sev- 

:s A widow with one son at the time of her marriage to 
Yong Mi. 



BIRTH, AND EARLY YEARS. 9 

enteenth day of the third month, eighth year 
of Hien Feng (1858). 

My brothers and sisters afterward were all 
baptized with their families, and all joined the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. 

A stepbrother, my mother's son, was profli- 
gate. He opened several wine-shops, and squan- 
dered all the capital in opium and other forms 
of dissipation. He died young. 

During the rebellion, flights from place to 
place, and pecuniary losses incident thereto, re- 
duced our property until the family became poor. 
At this time I was in my seventeenth year. 
For a while I stopped study, my father requir- 
ing me to attend the wine-shop of my step- 
brother, in order to watch and guard his 
conduct. 

This was the first of my leaving home. I en- 
countered great dangers and temptations. At the 
shop I acquired a taste for wine, but fortunately 
did not become addicted to it. 

The brother was frequently out all night. 
To deceive me he reported that he went to 
learn military science. I followed him secretly, 
and ascertained that he went with dissolute 
companions to flowery streets and pleasure 
lanes. 

He and his companions tried to tempt me to 
join them, thinking that if I did so I would jiot 



IO HU YONG ML 

dare to inform my parents against him ; but I 
warned him. 

My teacher had a friend whose mother died. 
My father ordered me to go to the friend's 
house to condole with the family and pay rev- 
erence to the deceased. There many friends 
and relatives were assembled, who knew me as 
a youth good at card-playing. They were glad 
to see me, and invited me to a game of cards 
to relieve the tedium of mourning. I declined. 
They referred to my teacher, who persuaded me, 
for the sake of the entertainment of the guest, 
to play. 

From noon till night I won every game. All 
the company in turn lost, I alone won. All 
were surprised, but I was alarmed. I never 
played again. From childhood I had often 
heard the proverb: 

it #■ M #p *% 

Oh tn, sang nieng po; 
Haiii sio, pwoh long ko. 

" Learn to gamble, you may be three years rich ; 
Afterward losing, off go your blouse and trousers !"* 

I feared poverty, and determined never again 
to gamble. 

* That is, the gambler may prosper temporarily, but he 
must eventually pawn his clothes to pay his debts. 



BIRTH, AND EARLY YEARS. 1 1 

One time a cousin in our house was very de- 
sirous of drawing a lottery prize. For the pur- 
pose of determining what character she should 
draw to win, she brought many idols to the 
house, and night after night consulted them 
through those by whom the spirit of the idol 
was supposed to communicate; and she called 
dream interpreters to her aid, and diviners with 
twigs,* and sought, by bamboo-slips shaken 
before the images, an answer from the gods. 
Withal, following the instructions and trying 
again and again, she drew no prize. 

I saw that our friends were disappointed and 
troubled. I went myself before the image of 
the Goddess of Mercy, whom I was always fond 
of worshiping, and reached my hands to the 
bamboo urn within which were thirty-six slips, 
with characters engraved thereon. I revolved the 
bamboo-slips, then drew one forth and said to my 
cousin, " Take this and win." No one credited 
me. Some said: "Presumptuous! You have 
burned no incense, offered no propitiatory sacri- 
fices, only with your hands extracted the bam- 
boo. We will not trust your divination." I re- 
turned the bamboo to the men, and a second 
time revolved the urn, and again drew forth the 
same charactered slip; likewise a third time. 



*A forked twig, preferably of margosa or willow, is held 
lightly by the fingers in a dish of sand and allowed to write 
as it will — the Chinese form of planchette. 



12 HU YONG MI. 

All regarded it as strange, but had no faith in 
it. I essayed the character drawn, at the lottery, 
and gained a considerable prize. Then all the 
friends repented ; for no one of them had won. 

In my mind I determined not to repeat the 
experiment. The prize-money I spent buying 
good incense, flowers, candles, and food, which 
I presented to the Goddess of Mercy. I was 
then about eighteen years of age. 

A relative, who was connected with the vice- 
roy's yamen, had an opium-shop and wished to en- 
gage some one to take charge of his business and 
superintend his domestic affairs. He consulted 
my father, who wished me to accept the situa- 
tion. I was very reluctant, but my father coun- 
seled me to take the place temporarily. He 
feared that I was too much immersed in solitude, 
and desired that I should learn something of 
the business and social customs of the outside 
world. 

An engagement was therefore made for a 
specified time, and I went to the house of my 
relative, the opium-dealer. He treated me with 
much consideration and kindness. He intrusted 
all the affairs of his house and his shop to my 
control. He hoped to secure my services 
permanently; but I told him that as soon as 
the term of engagement expired I would go 
home. I was not happy. Each day seemed 



BIRTH, AND EARLY YEARS. 13 

like a year. I longed for the^end, remember- 
ing the proverb : 

If & J* * W M & & 

Ning ko ching ki, pok ko chok pan: 

"Better unsullied to famish than with impurity to he 
full fed." 

I was about six months at the place, but 
never touched opium. The pipe never came to 
my mouth. 

I then returned home to study and practice 
drawing. I sold a few poor pictures and thereby 
helped the family a little. 

After a year I opened a picture-shop. My 
drawings were like crow's tracks, with dashes 
of red for flowers, that were like nothing known. 
Still, oddly enough, there were people to buy, 
and I made money. 

A company of young men, a hundred or 
more, soon began to make my shop a rendezvous. 
For a time I associated with them, till I dis- 
covered that they met to learn fighting, wrestling, 
theatricals, and wine-bibbing, and wanted me 
to join their company. Then gradually I sepa- 
rated from them. 

Sin was like a river — danger everywhere I 
looked or walked. I was not wise as a young 
man, and was still in this world's darkness. 



14 HU YONG MI. 

Satan used many baits to catch me. I knew, 
after embracing the Christian faith, that I had 
escaped out of many temptations, because the 
Spirit of God had early been with me. He had 
guided me and helped me. He had outstretched 
his saving arm to assist me out of all pitfalls. 
Had it not been so, I should have entered the 
dark region* ere ever I heard the gospel 
preached. I know truly that from before my 
entrance into the world the grace of God has 
protected me, even to the present. 

Praise to Jehovah for the evidence that, from 
ancient times, he has cared tenderly for our 
China! 



That is, gone to perdition. 



CHAPTER II. 

YOUTHFUL HABITS. 

A FEW words about my habits and disposi- 
tion in youth. I was inclined to be quiet 
and meditative. I seldom spoke. I had much 
regard for propriety of deportment; was very 
careful about my apparel, my carriage in walk- 
ing, my manner of sitting. People considered 
me rather stupid. Many friends were anxious 
about me on this account. The years between 
six and seventeen were spent in study. After- 
ward I went into business, as narrated before. 
It was a pleasure to me to resort to hill-tops 
and shady retreats to contemplate the works of 
nature. I studied the Buddhist classics; was 
a vegetarian — ten days. 

I loved to think about the heavenly man- 
sion. This was before I learned Christian doc- 
trine. Buddhists and Tauists teach of heaven, 
but differently from Christians. The Buddhists 
say that heaven is above — among the clouds — 
where spirits move; that it is very quiet, very 
pure. Their heaven has three degrees — the 
lowest the grosser, the highest the pure. Their 
hell has eighteen departments. The Tauists 

15 



1 6 HU YONG MI. 

have many heavens and many orders of spirits. 
They teach that an elixir made from herbs of 
the mountains has power to confer immortality. 

I thought much about the elixir of immor- 
tality, for which men seek the herbs in holy 
mountains. I worshiped heaven and earth, 
Buddha, and many gods. People called me very 
devout. Nevertheless my heart was perturbed 
beyond expression. I was greatly afraid of 
devils, and troubled about spirits. I dwelt upon 
the thought: " In a little while my parents will 
die; I shall die; we shall be buried in the 
ground at the foot of the hill, our bodies given 
to worms, our spirits perhaps become the as- 
sociates of hawks."* This was very distress- 
ing to contemplate, yet inevitable. 

I also heard it said that when men died, their 
souls were dragged by wicked spirits into a re- 
gion of darkness {ing kang, hades), where 
they must pass through ten departments for 
judgment, and suffer much punishment and 
torture. The place was depicted as very dark, 
and terribly cold. Spirits agonized with cold. 
To ponder these things -chilled my heart. Day 
and night, in secret, I shed tears. At night, 
wherever I went, I feared evil spirits. 

Then I heard some say that there was a way 



* Hawks are supposed to call a man's spirits away. It 
is very alarming for a sick person to hear the cry of the hawk. 



YOUTHFUL HABITS. 1 7 

to escape these terrors and death itself. One 
must strictly observe forty-nine consecutive 
keng-sing* days, without once failing. During 
that day he must remain in a secluded place, 
discard all business, keep the mind quiet, think 
of nothing. Though many devils come to 
tempt, as they will, and try to frighten, even 
making it appear as if fire were about to con- 
sume him, he must be unmoved, and preserve 
perfect tranquillity in spite of all. When he 
has thus kept forty-nine consecutive keng-sing 
days, he will triumph over all wicked spirits, 
for they will flee from him in fear. He can met- 
amorphose his own body into wood, or fire, or 
water; can pass invisible through space; can be- 
come immortal ; for he knows how to make the 
elixir, and can dwell at will in the spirit-world 
or in the world of men. 

I was very desirous to learn more of these 
doctrines. How should I keep the keng-sing 
days, how concoct the elixir? There was no 
one to teach me. No books could I find to 
make the subject clear. 



* Sixty cyclical days, named by the combination of one 
character in a group of ten (" ten stems ") with one char- 
acter in a group of twelve ("twelve branches"). Good au- 
thority states that the Chinese have thus designated days 
since the twenty-seventh century B. C. The years have 
been designated in like manner for about twenty centuries 
only. 



1 8 HU YONG MI. 

One day I heard it said that sometimes at the 
Municipal Guardian * Temple in the city, living 
immortality came forth (that is, an immortal f 
revealed himself in animate form), appearing 
at one time as an animal, at another in the form 
of iridescent light. Rejoiced, I treasured the 
news in my heart. The next morning, at early 
dawn, I went into the city to the temple, and 
prayed to Siang Hwong, the idol: "Show me 
this living immortality ! Where is it, that I may 
attain to it?" Then I made salutations, and shook 



■Siang Hwong, a Tauist deity. 

tThe principal immortals of Tanist legends are eight: 
i. Chung-li K'iian, the chief and oldest, dating from 
several centuries before Christ, and represented to have ap- 
peared from time to time as a messenger of heaven. 

2. Chang Kwoh, A. D., seventh century. 

3. Lii Tung-pin, born A. I). 755. Temples were erected 
to his honor in the twelfth century. 

4. Ts'ao Kwoh-k'iu flourished in the eleventh century. 

5. Li T'ich-kwai dates from a remote period. He was 
originally of fine stature ; but once having been absent seven 
days on a visit to the heavenly world, on returning the 
spirit found its body devitalized, and entered the body of a 
crippled beggar just deceased, in which tenement Li T'ich- 
kwai continued his terrestrial existence. 

6. Hau Siang-tsze, ninth century. 

7. Lau Tsai Ho. Sex and time uncertain ; generally 
supposed to be a woman. 

8. Ho Sien-ku. A maiden born near Canton, seventh 
century. At the age of fourteen she achieved immortality 
by eating powder of mother-of-pearl, as directed by a 
spirit in a dream. The legend says that in one of her re- 
appearances she rode a brightly-colored cloud. 



YOUTHFUL HABITS. 19 

the urn of lots, and drew forth the number one. 
A good omen. Attendants in the temple, seeing 
that I had drawn number one, and appeared to 
be a student, congratulated me, saying: "This 
year you will attain the degree of Siu-tsai," 
(A. B.) These words I doubted exceedingly, 
and went away disconsolate. 

Again I heard that in a Tauist temple on 
Black Rock Hill was one " Dragon-king, Heav- 
enly-prince,"* who guarded the gate of heaven. 
"He," I thought, "must know the way to 
heaven. I will beseech him to guide me." 
Again I rose early, bathed, changed my ap- 
parel, sought the temple, and supplicated the 
idol : " Lead me with you to the heavenly man- 
sion!" Thus I implored from early morn till 
noon without ceasing, but saw not the least 
sign, heard not the least sound in response. 
There was no help. Grieved and perplexed I re- 
turned home. I verily believed that the indwell- 
ing spirit in the idol could manifest itself, and 
let my eyes see or ears hear a sign indicating 
how to pursue the heavenly way. Afterward I 
reflected that I had been rash ; I, so insignifi- 
cant, to appeal to so honorable a god ! Hence 
my prayers had not been granted. I must first 
pay devotion to a god in my own neighborhood, 



* Wong L,ung Kmang T'ieng-kung. Represented by an 
image with three eyes. 



20 HU YONG MI. 

and seek guidance from him. I went to the 
Great-king* in our neighborhood and worshiped 
frequently. On Tai-wong's birthday, and at the 
time of the lantern festival,! I attended upon 
him, changed his clothes, and spread feasts be- 
fore him. 

Once as I was changing the idol's clothes I 
was seized with sudden consternation. What 
was the cause? A great rat which jumped out 
of Tai-wong's body and ran away. Approaching 
again, and examining closely, I discovered that 
the garments, and even the beard of the idol, 
had been gnawed by the rat. I was very angry. 
Audacious rat! to enter the sacred person of Tai- 
wong, to nest therein, to nibble his clothing, 
even his beard. I wished to seize the offender, 
to wreak just vengeance upon it, even death. 
Ah! foolish, very foolish I! After becoming a 
disciple of Christ I comprehended that these 
had all been false, empty imaginings. 

Once, in a gathering of Christians, the sub- 
ject turning upon idols; I rehearsed the episode 
of the rat in the form of verse: 

Compared to those who serve false god, 
Rats far more cunning are and wise ; 

They know the use the god will serve, 
And house them safe beneath his eyes. 



* Tai-wong, a deity of the Tauists, who ranks as consta- 
ble of a ward. 

tThe feast of lanterns occurs in the first month annu- 
ally, from the nth to the 15th days. 



YOUTHFUL HABITS. 21 

They boldly mount the " Great King's" head, 

Rapacious gnaw the sacred beard. 
For treatment so irreverent, 

What punishment might not be feared ? 

Small devils all, and nightly guards, 

Beholding, dazed, expect to see, 
Affrighted by some dire portent, 

On flying feet the invaders flee. 

They look, and astonishment grows on their faces ; 

There remaineth a subject to chatter about ; 
The marauders are safe in their usurped places ; 

For Tai-wong has a hand which he can not stretch out. 

I employed many methods, but all were in- 
effectual to attain what I desired. My mind 
was distracted. Several times I was very ill, in 
delirium, seeing nothing but spirits about me. 
As the saying is, " Three days wind, four days 
rain;" I was a few days well, a few days ill. 

Thus I grew up to manhood. My parents 
were oftentimes greatly concerned about my 
state, physical and mental. They went every- 
where consulting idols. For my benefit they had 
performed the ceremony of "passing through 
the door."* At another time they secured for 
me "ten protectors,"! and were at incalculable 
trouble and much expense on my account. 



* See Doolittle's " Social Life of the Chinese," for a de- 
scription of the ceremony of " passing through the door." 

t A form of life insurance by proxy. Ten men at a tem- 
ple, in presence of the god, vow to spare, each, one or two 
years of his own life, the sum total of the years so dedi- 
cated to be added to those allotted the suppliant. 



22 HU YONG MI. 

Up to sixteen years of age I was put under 
the care of No-na (the "Mother" Goddess), 
after that of other gods. One day, when con- 
valescent, I sat up-stairs alone, depressed in 
spirit, my head on my hands, musing. My 
eyes chanced to rest on my father's bookcase, 
where were many books which I had never 
examined. 

A sudden inspiration seized me. Here, right 
at hand, may be the book which will teach 
me how to keep the forty-nine days, and how to 
procure the elixir of life (while my search has 
been far away). The thought gave me new 
buoyancy ; and, very happy, I arose and went to 
the case to search for such a book. 

My glance passed hastily over the books 
which I had read, and which were familiar to 
me, and rested upon a lot which I had not read. 
They were volumes of the Old and New Testa- 
ments. My father had obtained them from Rev. 
Mr. Maclay, who preached in the neighborhood, 
and with whom he was well acquainted. The 
first that I opened was a New Testament. 
Eagerly I scanned its pages. Alas ! I could not 
read understanding^ a word. (It was in collo- 
quial character, which style was introduced by 
missionaries ; something like phonetic spelling to 
English readers.) Turning over leaf after leaf, 
one name alone was conspicuous on every page ; 



YOUTHFUL HABITS. 23 

and nothing else could I see but the name 
Ya-su, Ya-su, (Jesus, Jesus.) 

I was disappointed and angry ; and in a 
sudden passion of rage I tore the book to 
pieces, threw the fragments on the floor, and, 
not satisfied with destroying the book, I wished 
for some sharp implement by which I might ex- 
punge the hated name Ya-su, which stared at 
me from the mutilated pages. In my heart, I 
chided my father for having so many books of 
this sort. Why fill the house with the literature 
of the Christian sect? What use or reason in it? 

Later, on my coming to a knowledge of the 
doctrine of Christ, I recognized that in this 
action had been fulfilled the words of the Psalm- 
ist, " They hated me without a cause." I also 
thought, with such a disposition, the crowd 
about the cross had cried out, "Crucify him! 
crucify him !" 

Was I not, indeed, in the same category with 
them? 

Alas! a sinner, I knew not that He who, in 
the beginning, created man, heaven, earth, and 
all things ; who dwells with the Supreme God ; 
who is the way of eternal life, — this one, become 
man, was this same Jesus. 

He who alone, for our sake, descended from 
heaven, sacrificed his body and shed his blood 
to redeem us from sin and save us from ever- 



24 HU YONG ML 

lasting death, who commissioned us to attain 
everlasting life, in endless joy to roam the heav- 
enly plains, — was this Jesus. 

He who corresponded exactly to that for 
which I had so imploringly longed, so hungered 
and thirsted, whose salvation I had craved, — was 
Jesus. 

Him, the source of my life, my ladder of as- 
cent to heaven, my true righteousness, — why 
knew I not to love and reverence him ; to draw 
near to him, instead of piercing and rejecting 
him in anger? 

My conception is that the cause was Satan 
dwelling within me; that I myself was under 
the control of the devil. Therefore, at that time, 
if I but heard or saw the name of Jesus, without 
cause or reason, immediately I loathed, rejected, 
feared, and hated him. 

(This is common, a hatred of the name of 
Jesus among those who know nothing of his 
doctrines.) 

Alas! I was blind and ignorant. But, verily, 
the merciful, compassionate, humanely-loving 
Savior, the Lord Jesus, came early to save me, 
to comfort, to guide me. 

Ah me ! my sin was exceeding great — ex- 
ceeding lamentable. Subsequently, I often heard 
my father, discoursing with friends, say that 
idols were mere images of clay and wood, unin- 



YOUTHFUL HABITS. 25 

telligent, untrustworthy. Moreover, all who 
worshiped them sinned against God, the Lord of 
heaven. They were, for example, like children 
who for nurture received from their parents 
should return them no thanks, but accord all 
their merit to another. Was not this wrong? 

My father also said : " Christianity is good. I 
myself am so pressed by business affairs that I 
have not time to investigate the doctrine, and 
fear I should practice imperfectly. I advise you 
all, friends, to begin before me to be Christians." 

The idea which friends formed, at this time, 
was that Christianity comprehends influence, 
wealth, salvation ; thinking only of temporal 
relations, they fathomed not the depths of spir- 
itual meaning therein. When I heard image- 
worship accounted sinful, and heard the various 
remarks made by our friends, I revolted, and 
felt humiliated. Over it all, I groaned. 
3 



CHAPTER III. 

MENTAL STRUGGLES. 

SOME time about the year 1857 my older 
brother, P6 Mi, who had been engaged in 
military operations in distant parts of the prov- 
ince, came home victorious. Many friends 
came together to congratulate him and make 
merry. Not long after, a neighbor came to me 
privately, and whispered : 

" Your brother goes with the Christians. Are 
you aware of it? He is at this moment in the 
chapel talking with foreigners. 1 ' 

I was astounded. Then, for proof, I went 
and stealthily lay in wait for him, watching the 
chapel door from a shop opposite. Truly, the 
statement was a fact. I saw my brother come 
out of the chapel. Then, with heart palpitating, 
I ran home and gave information to mother and 
all the rest. My idea was that my brother would 
cast away idols, abolish ancestral worship, and 
revolt against the teachings of the venerable 
sages, for which meditated crimes we ought all 
with one heart to beat the drum and drive him 
from the house. 

From this time I began grievously to slander 
26 



MENTAL STRUGGLES. 27 

my brother. All the relatives knew about the 
matter, and increased talk, saying : "Your father 
and brother have rejected pure doctrines to em- 
brace corrupt ones; have listened to foreigners' 
alien speech. Truly, they are blind — outlan- 
dish." 

One day my brother, P6 Mi, came and said 
to me: "I know that you usually wish to act 
according to right principles. Do you not think 
likewise of me ? Simply you are unwilling to 
examine what manner of doctrine this of Jesus 
is. You only exercise a harsh judgment, and 
cherish obstinately the common sentiment, ex- 
citing wild discussions, to what advantage ? 
Now, I will make a covenant with you. If you 
will truly discourse to me correct doctrine, I 
certainly will follow you in what you preach ; 
if not, you must adopt the creed which I have 
embraced. Is that satisfactory ?" 

I thought steadily, and then responded, " It 
is satisfactory." Accordingly, I discoursed fully 
upon all that I knew; but what had before 
seemed to me correct was demolished by my 
antagonist. I spoke of the importance of wor- 
shiping heaven and earth. 

He expounded: "Pure ether makes heaven; 
water and land make earth. They are simply 
two great bodies, and they are also perishable. 
But God is a true Spirit, who was before heaven 



28 HU YONG MI. 

and earth existed. He is without beginning, 
without end, without form, or likeness. He is 
the ruler of the created heaven and earth, the 
sea, and all things, and man. Men ought to 
trust in the name of Jesus, and, with sincere, 
pure heart, worship this true heaven and earth. 
Just estimate this correctly. If one went into an- 
other's house, and neither bowed nor spoke to 
the inmates thereof, but continually talked and 
did reverence to the house, would not everybody 
ridicule him as stupid in committing so great 
an error? 1 ' 

Then we discoursed concerning the ancient 
philosophers and sages. My brother said: 
"They all honored the commands of heaven. 
They sought to instruct the people in virtue, in 
proper government of the family and the state, 
and to purify the fountains of thought and action 
in themselves. That which I, at the present 
time, am learning from the Christians is doc- 
trine which the venerable sages and philos- 
ophers wished to learn. In doing this I con- 
sider myself, in the truest manner, following 
the sages. If men read their books, but do not 
practice in their lives the lessons contained 
therein, though they build temples, burn in- 
cense, and offer sacrifices, they do but disgrace 
the names of the sages and philosophers." 

On the subject of filial piety, he said: " Filial 



MENTAL STRUGGLES. 29 

piety is, as you say, a bright virtue. ' Injure 
not the body, hair, or integument' 'Establish 
the heart in the way of virtue.' 'Extend your, 
family name to posterity.' Within these prin- 
ciples, it may be said, lie the beginning and end 
of filial piety. There are three specifications* 
of unfilial character clearly set forth by the an- 
cient sages, — and again five others.f These are 
important for warning. If they be not heeded, 
but the things specified be practiced, the result 
would be the overthrow of good order. How- 
ever, the worship of ancestral tablets, burning 
of paper-cash, and offering sacrifices at the 

* The three unfilial specifications are : 

1. To do evil for the sake of obeying the commands of 
parents. 

2. To stay by the aged parents under the plea of caring 
for them, when better service could be rendered them by 
going forth to win official position or fortune. 

3. To have no heirs to transmit to posterity the paternal 
name. 

t The five are : 

1. Through indolence, neglecting to provide for parents. 

2. Through love of beauty and wine, not providing for 
parents. 

3. Through expenditure of wealth upon wife and chil- 
dren, failing to provide for parents. 

4. Through delight in sensual indulgence, disgracing 
parents. 

5. Through rash engagement in fierce combats imperil- 
ing parents; e. g., Confucius said he wanted no man with 
him who, unarmed, would go up-hill to meet a tiger. 



30 HU YONG MI. 

graves of ancestors, are but dead leaves and 
branches of the more important principles. 
They are also easy to do. Only that filial man 
who depends not upon the observance of mere 
forms, who with sincere heart does his real duty, 
may be called a man of genuine filial piety." 

Again, on the object of worship: "The God 
I worship is a true living Spirit, and differs as 
heaven from earth from the inanimate objects, 
false gods of modeled clay and carved wood, 
the work of men's hands." 

He discoursed of unrighteousness, perverted 
customs, wicked imaginations, etc., more than 
would be easy to enumerate. The language 
which he used to expound his doctrine was new 
to me. I had never heard the like. When I 
wished to imitate his language to confound his 
arguments, I found I could not. 

Carefully considering his words I recognized 
his principles to be right ; but I thought, " If I 
adopt his principles, it makes all that I have done 
not righteous, but sinful." I was, therefore, ex- 
ceedingly loath to listen to his words. 

I also reflected, " People of the Middle King- 
dom, from remote periods of antiquity to the 
present time, have done thus, and only you in 
this day declare them to have been in error. 
Is it possible that you have the very highest 
degree of wisdom?" I truly thought his dis- 



MENTAL STRUGGLES. 31 

course was very wrong, — insulting to the spirit 
of Buddha. Emotions were strong in my heart, 
but I had no corresponding words to reply. 

My brother broke the silence. "If you have 
nothing to say, now take my view. Together 
let us follow these principles of right reason." 

I answered : " I have not read books thor- 
oughly. I have not oratorical ability to debate 
with you." (I thought, "Another will answer 
him.") My brother said, "You surely know by 
intuition that the more shallow your knowledge, 
the more humbly should you examine." I re- 
sponded: "My sincere devotion, you say, has all 
been sinful. This I do not believe. If I just 
obey the teachings of the sages and philos- 
ophers — that is, of the three sects, Confucian- 
ism, Tauism, and Buddhism, which, from a 
child, I have heard that everybody maintains — 
I am satisfied. What necessity is there to join 
a foreign sect?" 

My brother replied: " This doctrine is not an 
invention of foreigners. You must not name it 
' foreign sect.' The Lord of heaven, the true 
God's Holy Spirit inspired prophets to record 
on paper this Heaven's Book.* The doctrine is 



* A legend is current with the Chinese of the existence of 
a magic book, known as "Heaven's Book " — THeng Chii. 
Allusions to it are found in books nearly or quite a thou- 
sand years old, dating before the introduction of Christian- 



32 HU YONG MI. 

divine ; it accords with man's conscience. You 
must call it ' God's sect.' All mankind ought 
reverently to receive this right doctrine. You, 
of course, wish to act consistently with divine 
principles and with your own conscience. Why 
do you reject this alone of which I tell you? 
You expound what you have learned of the doc- 
trines of the three sects, I am bold to say, alto- 
gether as an unskillful physician, whose medic- 
inal compounds cause the patients taking them 
to grow worse. Take a glance, at present, at 
the three classes in our China, — the upper, mid- 
dle, and lower. Is it not true, as the old man 
says, reproving the child, 'Each generation is 
more deficient than the former?' Truly, modern 
customs are perverse. Men's hearts are not like 
the ancients'. A hundred knavish tricks and 



ity into China. The legend is that the book, at some very 
remote period of time, fell from heaven, can rarely be found, 
and if found by one not destined thereto, it presents no 
legible characters. In connection with it is a precious 
sword— po kieng. When he, whose right it is, discovers 
the " Heaven's Book " and " precious sword," the book man- 
ifests characters empowering the reader to summon to his 
aid, when needed, legions of angels and archangels, and the 
sword will drive away demons, devils, and all evil spirits. 
Rev. Hii Yong Mi said : " In preaching I sometimes speak of 
the Bible as ' Heaven's Book,' and all are at once interested 
as in something with which they are familiar. I tell them 
that it, too, has no meaning to them unless they are con- 
verted." 



MENTAL STRUGGLES. 33 

lies are enacted, and they increase daily. Do 
you not know it? 

" Now, God has shown compassion, and his 
only Son, Jesus, has descended to this world, 
and has come to be our excellent great physi- 
cian. The remedy he uses is his truth. He 
has also commissioned his servants, masters 
from Western lands, to come to our Middle King- 
dom for the express purpose of proclaiming these 
blessed tidings. If men are not obstinate, not 
doubtful, but willing to partake, they will arise 
from death to life. This is our people's great 
blessing." 

I thought, "I uttered but one sentence, and 
from it he has had matter upon which to expa- 
tiate long, long, long; therefore I will not listen 
to him," and I immediately ran away. My 
brother then called after me, " Somebody is de- 
feated—ah! ah!" 



CHAPTER IV. 
MISSIONARY INFLUENCES. 

ONE day, my father being sick, two Amer- 
ican ministers, Rev. Mr. Maclay and Rev. 
Mr. Gibson, called to see him and to pray for 
him. I saw them kneel without any incense 
stand, one facing the east, one facing the west, 
and could not comprehend what they were do- 
ing. Ignorant, I laughed, and left the room. 
Not long after I was drawing in my room, when 
my elder brother came and said to me: "The 
two preachers, who called the other day, came 
to pray for our father's health. You are 
his child, yet you were not only unwilling to 
kneel with them, but even dared to laugh. In 
this you were truly contumacious toward God, 
and rebellious against your father. It was a 
great sin. You must now kneel down with me, 
and I will make confession for you and beseech 
forgiveness." He further urged me into compli- 
ance. 

Prayer over, he said : " You are in duty bound 
to abide by the agreement which we made some 
days ago. To-morrow is the Sabbath ; you must 
go with me to the chapel and see the service, 
and judge for yourself." 

34 



MISSIONARY INFLUENCES. 35 

I saw no way to decline ; then, just to gratify 
him, I nodded assent. When it was done, my 
heart was very heavy; for from a child I had 
worshiped a porcelain image of the Goddess of 
Mercy, and thought it possessed intelligence. I 
could not tolerate the idea of leaving it. There- 
fore, that evening I burned incense, and lighted 
candles, and implored the goddess, saying: 
"Alas! this devotee has discussed doctrines with 
his brother many times, and can not gain a vic- 
tory. Since, on a former day, we entered into 
an agreement that to whichever discoursed the 
purest doctrine the other would submit, my 
brother now holds me fast to my engagement. 
I have no words to refuse. Now, what help is 
there for it? If I go to worship the Supreme 
Ruler (Siong Ta), according to what he says, I 
can not then worship thee, Spirit of Buddha. If, 
verily, thou only hadst intelligence, then imme- 
diately shouldst thou make response and declare 
his sin in insulting thee ; how much more thou, 
Buddha, of ways illimitable! Now is the ex- 
tremest limit of time. Thou oughtest and must 
come to help me. If thou dost not so, thou 
wilt summon thy worshiper in vain." All 
night I prayed. I perceived not the least shadow 
or sound in response. My moanings were more 
than I could utter. The next morning there was 
no recourse but to accompany my brother to 



36 HU YONG MI. 

Ching Sing Tong (Church of the True God) to 
attend service. All the way, as we walked to- 
gether, my head was bowed low; I feared lest I 
should meet an acquaintance who would ridicule 
me. Arrived at the door of Ching Sing Tong, I 
entered hastily. Within, I saw several men and 
a number of children. They were just beginning 
to sing, using the tune of the Jasmine.* Hav- 
ing finished singing, all stood quiet, and Rev. 
Mr. Maclay prayed. I had remained seated, but 
my heart was not at rest. I must perforce arise; 
then I bowed my head after the manner of the 
others who were engaged in prayer. 

From that moment I began to experience 
gladness of heart. I thought to worship the Su- 
preme Ruler of heaven and earth was the most 
excellent thing, and service to this Lord the 
duty of all men of the myriad kingdoms under 
heaven. The doctrine which I heard, topic by 
topic, was all very pure, very true. I recognized 
that what I had before done was wrong ; that I 
had been perverse and stupid. Secretly I re- 
pented my former hasty words exciting discus- 
sion, slander, sinning against God, and insulting 
my father and brother. 

But, with a boastful tongue I had said, " Men 
may cut off my head, all right, but need not try 



Muh-le-hwa ; a very popular song heard at theaters, etc. 



MISSIONARY INFLUENCES. 37 

to compel me to join the Christian sect; resolute 
to the end, I will never submit." 

This all our relatives and friends had already 
heard. With what shamefacedness could I now 
say, " I now, also, go and worship God." So I 
sighed. 

On our return home my brother asked, "What 
did you think of the service to-day?" "It was 
good — pretty good," I replied; "but I question 
one thing. Why use the common Muh-le-hwa 
song to sing praise to the Lord of heaven and 
earth, who is said to be a most righteous God, 
most honorable, most holy ? I also saw that the 
people stood to pray, not assuming a humble, 
reverential attitude. Is it proper to worship 
God in that manner?" 

My brother replied: " Being vulgar or proper, 
false or true, depends upon the thought in man, 
not upon the time nor the ceremony. If we 
use that time to breathe right thoughts, it be- 
comes right; if we use it for a corrupt song, it 
becomes corrupt. God regards not the outward 
form, but the heart of man." 

About two weeks after this, one evening, as 
the whole household was assembled, my father 
and brother quietly led the talk between them- 
selves to the subject of Christianity, with the 
idea of letting the whole assembly have the ben- 
efit of their views. 



38 HU YONG ML 

In the midst of the conversation my father 
embraced a suitable opportunity and addressed 
the company with the inquiry, "You have all 
heard the doctrine a long time; have you yet 
determined to accept and obey it?'' There was 
silence. Each one looked at the other. My 
father then addressed me personally, and said, 
"Your eyes need not look at another; have you 
yourself in your heart truly decided or not?" 

Slowly, in a low voice, I answered, "I have, 
indeed, I have; I do not know what all the 
rest think." , , 

They were all looking at me and smiling, and 
now said, "We all have decided." 

From this time there was great happiness in 
the household. We assembled for prayers and 
Scripture reading. I put to rights a room up- 
stairs, setting table and chairs in order, and 
there the whole family assembled morning and 
evening for devotions. All the images and the 
pictures of false gods were destroyed, except 
only the white porcelain image of the Goddess 
of Mercy, which my father presented to Dr. 
Maclay. I had on hand about one hundred and 
eighty or ninety pictures of idols which I had 
made for sale. My first thought was, " I will 
sell these off as quickly as possible, and not make 
any more." 

With this object in view I took them all out 



MISSIONARY INFLUENCES. 39 

into the street, and had proceeded as far as the 
head of the bridge of Ten Thousand Ages, when 
my heart began to upbraid me with the ques- 
tion: "You know that it is sin against the Lord 
of heaven to worship these idols: why do you sell 
them to others for them to worship?" Imme- 
diately I threw one after another over the bridge, 
letting the wind carry them down into the water. 
Passers-by tried to seize them, exclaiming, "Why 
do you throw them away? Better give them to 
us!" They pitied me, thinking me crazy. I 
then used the occasion for a text, and preached 
to the people : it was my first sermon. 



CHAPTER V. 

CHRISTIAN LIFE. 

THE next day was the Sabbath. Impatiently 
I waited for the dawn, and before light, rose 
and made my toilet, very happy to wait to hear 
the bell of Ching Sing Tong, when together we 
went to worship. 

Of course, little that I heard preached at the 
chapel was clear to me; but my heart under- 
stood that Jehovah was the true God and Su- 
preme Ruler, and acknowledged Jesus to be a 
Savior. To worship him filled my heart with 
joy and gladness. From this time I grew in 
wisdom and knowledge, could distinguish be- 
tween true and false, wrong and right, shadow 
and substance. Day and night I meditated 
without ceasing, and I grew like to the flowers 
and trees in spring, when the branches and the 
leaves push forth more beautiful, more glorious, 
and nothing can repress them. Or, it was as if 
I had attained to a new heaven and a new earth, 
most bright and pleasantly brilliant. 

The more I thought, the more I relished; the 
more I pondered, the more I perceived there was 
involved an inexhaustible mystery of truth. I 
40 



CHRISTIAN LIFE. 4 1 

perceived how blind I had been in my former 
words, thoughts, and actions, and was greatly 
ashamed. Those things which I had loved and 
revered seemed now to me but as childish toys ; 
what I had cherished as precious, I now regarded 
as dirt. Formerly, as I had looked upon the 
world, my imagination dwelt upon the variety of 
its beauties and glories; now, it seemed to me like 
the nether world of darkness; its inhabitants 
seemed like monsters, or as if half man and half 
beast on the revolving wheel,* turning day by 
day. Their dishonor and disgrace they still re- 
gard as glory and honor, even to be coveted. 
Their food is deceit, unrighteousness, wicked- 
ness, uncleanness. Their pleasures are defiled, 
sinful, deadly. I was like a lost sheep which 
has recognized the voice of the true shepherd. 
My soul leaped with strong desire to commune 
with the Heavenly Father; but I knew not how 
to pray according to the Heavenly Father's will. 
I recognized that the Holy Spirit helped me 
and filled my heart with sighs and tears of joy. 
I wished to sing continually. Everything in 
which I engaged seemed to excite me to joy and 
to tears. I very much wished to tell of my joy, 
but was unable to express it. It was as if I had 
found a very precious treasure, yet knew not 



*The revolving wheel in the Tauists' hell, upon which 
men change into insects, birds, beasts, etc. 
4 



42 HU YONG MI. 

how to estimate it. Each day was a new day. 
With this joy the most glorious things in the 
world, the most exceeding precious, were incom- 
parable, because the joy proceeded not from 
aught earthly, but welled up from the soul. If 
the world and all therein were destroyed, this 
joy would remain. If offered all the honors and 
treasures of earth in exchange, I would not have 
stopped to consider, but would directly have de- 
clined. This language is truly not boastful. 
My soul alone knew this great joy, and disciples 
of Jesus who have experienced it know ; others 
know not what it is, nor whence it comes, — this 
most precious treasure in all the world. Not 
only so: many seeing me filled with joy, or 
moved to tears, still argued with and ridiculed 
me; but I continually raised fervent thanks to 
God that the grace of Jesus had saved me, draw- 
ing me out of the world of so great darkness, 
unrighteousness, and sin. I desired also to ex- 
hort others. Whenever I met friends I talked 
with them on the subject of what had influ- 
enced me, the truth which had so deeply 
taken possession of me. The more I spoke, the 
more my happiness increased, and the clearer 
grew my perceptions. I perceived that in my- 
self were very hateful, corrupt thoughts, and as 
soon as I recognized them I prayed, determined 
to exert all strength to put them away. 



CHRISTIAN LIFE. 43 

It seemed to me not very difficult to become 
righteous. I hungered and thirsted for the read- 
ing of the Holy Scriptures, but I did not know 
how to bring out the meaning. If very little 
only was plain to me, it gave me added joy. I 
often went to Chong Seng Sang * to ask Rev. 
Mr. Maclay to explain a passage of Scripture to 
me. He told me that he formerly read the Bible 
frequently in the evening, kneeling; and if the 
meaning were not clear, he prayed the Holy 
Spirit to reveal it. In the same manner, accord- 
ingly, I studied the Bible each night, kneeling. 
By day, as I worked at painting, a portion of 
the Bible lay at my left hand to read as I mixed 
paints with the right. Sometimes two or three 
others who were seekers after truth came to- 
gether with me, and we conferred upon our 
mutual experience and the knowledge we had 
attained. Often on the Sabbath the missionary 
preacher used for his text the very passage of 
Scripture which I, at the time, most wished ex- 
plained. So, gradually, I profited in the things 
of the gospel. I revered the Sabbath of the 
Lord as most precious — so great regard, so great 
affection, so great gladness in the day, that too 
slowly it came, and all too quickly passed away. 

Day by day, such parts of Scripture as I did 



* The name of the hill upon which is situated the Meth- 
odist Episcopal mission compound. 



44 HU YONG MI. 

not understand I hid in my heart, and pondered 
over, waiting for the Holy Spirit to make plain 
the truth. 

I thought that, since God with special design 
had given the gospel to man, he must wish man 
to know his will, and I should surely receive his 
spirit to instruct me. Sometimes suddenly there 
came the clear comprehension of an obscure 
passage of Scripture, either through heart expe- 
rience in some passing event, or through sight 
or hearing in the midst of multitudinous affairs 
of all kinds. 

So I thought all things earthly and heavenly 
become commentaries on the Holy Scriptures. 
Some may be obtained at once, some after a few 
years, or a few tens of years. I, after these tens 
of years, am still receiving Bible doctrine inex- 
haustible; I just read and pray, and it never 
grows old. It is like a mountain of gold, from 
which men may take as much as they will, and 
none to forbid. At this time I very much longed 
and prayed for a missionary to live with me, in 
order that it might be convenient for me to ask 
explanation of many passages of Scripture not 
yet clear. 

I secretly rejoiced that, through divine grace, 
I had now been guided out of a bewildered way, 
out of corrupt thoughts and all unrighteousness. 
I thought it most important that I become per- 



CHRISTIAN LIFE. 45 

fectly pure. I was circumspect and careful, and 
exercised all energy to keep the Ten Command- 
ments of God. 

Alas ! I did not then know that, quiet within, 
lay concealed the original heart. 

Although the lips said trust in the Holy Spirit 
was necessary, and I prayed also for help, yet 
in my heart I imagined that I was strong and 
wise to keep the commandments. Since it had 
seemed easy to me before to change from wrong 
thoughts to right, and to turn away from all the 
former engagements, I did not perfectly per- 
ceive the merit due to the Holy Spirit. My 
heart was still dark and ignorant. I was like a 
new-born child — fed, comforted, caressed by its 
mother, knowing not sorrow nor fear ; or like an 
infant just learning to prattle, or to take its first 
steps — happy, yet not knowing the source of its 
help nor the reason for its delight, but suppos- 
ing its tottering steps and lisping words to be 
the result of its own skill, not knowing to 
give honor to parents, brothers, sisters, and all 
helpers. 

Although I early had ardor to exhort men, 
my words were mostly declamatory against the 
wickedness of the world. I regarded men's 
faults as a controversialist, pleased when, in de- 
bate, my opponents were humbled and silenced. 
Notwithstanding this was somewhat in accord 



46 HU YOXG MI 

with the necessity of the time, truly I was defi- 
cient in tenderness and affection. • 

The young child's thoughts are of its food 
alone. If it should attempt to walk, and no one 
helps, it will fall. 

From the time that I began wishing strictly 
to keep all the commands of God, and to serve 
him with the whole heart and whole mind, and 
to love others as myself, I found it to be very 
difficult and myself very weak, with no strength 
to endure. Constantly I was made angry and 
impatient by violent language of brethren older 
in the faith ; then arose wicked thoughts. As- 
saults without grew in frequency and force. I 
was very sad that I could not withstand. 

Then, too, what I ought not to think would 
perversely of itself come into my mind. Words 
that I ought not to hear I would accidentally 
hear; these stuck as if glued. Things which I 
ought not to say — certain vain words — now and 
then would slip out. So great the power of evil 
thoughts in the heart that groans and trembling, 
cries and fierce contests, were insufficient to ex- 
pel them; only when I knelt and prayed I gained 
a transient victory. I began to comprehend 
that there lurked a host of small sins, and one 
was no sooner vanquished than another ap- 
peared. 

Occasionally, while thinking, there was the 



CHRISTIAN LIFE. 47 

idea as if one suddenly arose within me, using 
exceedingly immoral, corrupt language. I 
would praise God ; he blasphemed, and, with 
odious voice, ridiculed and jeered. I affirmed; 
he denied. Thus, day and night, was there 
fighting within, without ceasing. At this time 
it seemed to me that my heart was so polluted 
that it would be well if I could, with a knife, 
cut it out and wash it clean with pure water. 
Therefore was I sometimes sad, sometimes joy- 
ful, — now in danger, now in safety, — here fear, 
there laughter, — as life, death, joy, grief, battled, 
with the least turn of victory or defeat on the 
one side or the other. 

Often I sighed: "Alas! I am very weary!" 
The more I wished to subdue evil desires, the 
more they grew; the more I wished to obey the 
law, the more I perceived rebellion against the 
law. I also perceived that these evil desires 
wrought conjointly with Satan to bind me and 
deliver me to death. 

If not constantly watchful, prayerful, relying 
upon the help of the Lord, they would not flee 
from me. If, at the end, I had the joy of vic- 
tory, it was all through prayer and the special 
grace of the Lord sustaining and causing me to 
be fearful and watchful. When I failed I suf- 
fered pain, and prayed to be saved and pardoned. 
Again, I would reflect on the various faults com- 



48 HU YONG MI. 

mitted in one day, and resolve to be very care- 
ful on the morrow, hoping to escape commit- 
ting any. 

To this end, before rising in the morning, I 
lay with closed eyes, that the new light of day 
might not steal away my thoughts, and reflected 
on all the events likely to befall me during the 
day, resolving to be careful in thought, word, 
and deed, patient under provocation, in every 
condition and action obedient to the commands 
of God. Then I opened my eyes to begin the 
day. I rose devoutly watchful, read the Scrip- 
tures, prayed, and went to work. 

When at evening again I examined myself, 
still were there lamentations. Why? Because 
to-day's temptations had been different from 
yesterday's. 

I now comprehended that my whole body 
was an enemy to God, not yet brought truly into 
subjection. 

I thought if, at this present time, when, with 
all my powers, I strive to keep the law of God, 
I realize my sins so many, how must it have 
been in the former time when I knew nothing 
of and cared nothing for the law of God ! At 
that time were not my deeds, my thoughts, my 
words, as to goodness or devoutness, all falla- 
cious? All accorded with what my natural dis- 
position delighted in, and were contrary to God. 



CHRISTIAN LIFE. 49 

Were they not all sins ? Alas ! an endlessly 
vexing question. 

I knew not why my heart should be so. 
Formerly, when I was a worshiper of idols, at- 
tached to all heathen rites, I had full faith, no 
shadow of doubt in the idols, and served them 
with spontaneous reverence. 

Now, why could I not exercise faith in like 
manner toward God? Formerly, I simply did 
not know God and the Savior, Jesus ; therefore, 
without reason, I rejected him. If for all sins 
there be hope of forgiveness, still more is it pos- 
sible in God's wide clemency for forgiveness 
of those sins, unknowingly, unconsciously com- 
mitted. 

Now that I have an intelligent conception of 
God — three Persons in One — and ardently wish 
to subject myself to, and to work for, God, why 
is it not possible for me with a pure heart to 
keep his holy law, and with the whole heart and 
whole soul serve him ? 

Since the Lord Jesus has manifested his great 
love toward me, why am I so hard-hearted as 
not to perceive his love, and to let his precious 
blood wash all my sins away and stimulate my 
soul? 

My heart wished to love Jesus. Why did I 
not cherish great love for him in my innermost 
soul, as for a most intimate friend ? I thought, 



5© HU YONG MI. 

my worthless heart is still hypocritical, and does 
not yet really believe in the Lord ; therefore, it 
is not in accord with the Holy Scriptures. 

Afterward, I considered that the same faith 
and reverence toward false and inanimate objects 
could not be devoted to the true, living God. 

To illustrate: The wild fruits, which beasts 
devour and which are unfit for men to eat, are 
the more unworthy to offer our superiors and 
elders. One must take good fruit and graft it 
upon the wild, then will there be good fruit. If 
a man's affections be not joined to the Spirit of 
Jesus, he has not the strength, according to 
God's will, to serve him. 

Then I said, I am a self-deluded man. In 
former years I regarded myself, as compared 
with other men, very much better; now I per- 
ceive my innermost heart to be the most sinful 
in all the world. Now what shall I do to be 
saved? Because faith, trust, and justification 
were not yet clearly explained to me, therefore 
the more I examined, the more I feared ; the 
more I thought, the more I desponded, — like the 
fears and tremblings before the thunders and 
lightnings of Sinai. My whole soul was sick 
with sorrow. Unable to sleep or to eat, my face 
grew thin, my body weak. Although I prayed 
importunately, my sorrowing heart experienced 
no consolation. 



CHRISTIAN LIFE. 5 1 

In the year i860, in the Chinese emperor 
Hien Feng's tenth year, on the twentieth day of 
the first month, my father died. 

At that time Rev. Mr. Gibson and Rev. Win. 
Burns, supposing that my great sorrow was on 
account of my father's death, spoke many words 
to comfort me. They knew not that my great- 
est sorrow was for sin. I wished to tell them, 
but did not know how. 

When my father was about to leave the world 
I was at his bedside. I saw him kneel in prayer 
upon his bed. Afterward he said: "The Savior 
has come. Now, immediately, he will receive 
my soul into heaven." 

After a little he was unable to speak, but 
still knelt upon the bed, one hand pressed upon 
the heart to indicate peace, one hand pointing up- 
ward to indicate that he was going to the heav- 
enly kingdom. Then he lay down and expired. 

Although naturally we sorrowed, yet truly, in 
the midst, received we comfort of the Heavenly 
Father; for we thoroughly knew that our father, 
through the gate of death, had entered life eter- 
nal, to be forever there. He had been on earth 
as a stranger in a foreign land, and was now at 
home. We, too, should soon all go thither and 
see him again. But I, in soul and body, had 
constantly great conflict with sin, and a sad 
heart of fears and terrors. 



52 HU YONG MI. 

One Sabbath day I was alone in a small 
house (my art shop) at the right of Ching Sing 
Tong. I lay with my head resting on a pile of 
bedding, weeping and sighing as I prayed : 
"Lord Jesus, I am about to die; thou must 
quickly come and save me, the chief of sinners. 
If, Lord, thou dost not save, who else can save 
me out of my sins? — for of all beings, thou alone 
art a Savior. Why dost thou leave me to weep 
and to implore?" Suddenly there was a sound 
distinctly heard in my right ear, saying: "Child, 
thy sins are forgiven ; why dost thou not believe 
it?" Immediately I knew it was the Lord's 
voice. My heart leaped. Hastily opening my 
eyes, I looked to the right and the left, but saw 
no form. Then I quickly knelt beside the bed 
and prayed, asking, "Lord, where art thou?" A 
small voice, without sound, in my heart, an- 
swered : "I am on thy left side, and I am on thy 
right." O, how my soul was inspired! How 
it leaped ! I could not restrain the flood of tears. 
Words are all inadequate to express my thanks- 
giving that the grace of the Lord had saved me, 
a sinner, from innumerable burdens of sorrow. 

From that time my illness was all gone. Daily 
I lived on earth as if in heaven. My exceeding joy 
was far greater than the joy before experienced. 

The Spirit of the Lord filled my heart daily, 
enabling me to be virtuous and devout. Every 



CHRISTIAN LIFE. 53 

hour, every moment, I realized that the Lord 
dwelt in me, and I dwelt in the Lord. The 
fountain of this happiness was incomparably 
precious. 

But, alas ! even at this time I did not know 
whence the blessedness came. I realized, in my 
heart a constant desire to pray without ceasing. 
In all manner of business, in every thought, 
every action, every state, the thought of prayer 
was blended. The great desire of my heart was 
to come into intimate communion with the 
Heavenly Father. 

Like a child that had lost its way, and has 
just returned to its parents' home, my soul's 
every moment's greatest delight was to cry, 
"Father! Father!" Besides, I wished all the 
time to sing and give praise for the grace of the 
Lord, which filled my soul to overflowing, so that 
my mouth must open and my voice break forth. 

I must leave all other work, and go every- 
where proclaiming the gospel of the Lord Jesus. 
If not so, still it could not be restrained from 
bubbling forth. Afterwards, I comprehended 
that this was in accordance with the language 
of Scripture. Jesus said: "He that believeth on 
me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living 
water." 

At that time, there were some who supposed 
that I had about gone crazy. 



CHAPTER VI. 
A LAY PREACHER. 

FROM the time that I experienced the attain- 
ment of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
I received the fullness of the Holy Spirit, con- 
stantly walked close with God, had daily joy 
beyond comparison, and was willing to give up 
everything to follow Jesus. The Lord's love 
had great power in my heart, subduing me; but 
I greatly wished to proclaim the will of the 
Lord to all men. 

My business at that time was drawing and 
painting, whereby I earned three or four hun- 
dred cash* every day. Afterward, I opened a 
shop for glass paintings. I was greatly indebted 
to Rev. Otis Gibson for his kind assistance in 
purchasing the glass for me, and for suggesting 
the work. By this new industry my income in- 
creased several fold. It was strange that the 
money came more and more when my mind 
was not the least fixed on money-making. 

Soon I took a few apprentices, and engaged 
an assistant in the shop ; and we could not all 

* Three hundred cash is equivalent to about twenty-five 
cents. 

54 



A LAY PREACHER. 55 

make pictures as fast as they sold. There was 
a Church member whom I had taught drawing, 
and who had a number of pictures on hand. 
These I took to my shop to sell. Customers 
who came, strangely enough, all wished to buy 
my pictures, and my friend's lot remained un- 
sold. Then, fearing that he would be in want 
of money, I bought over his stock, and in one 
or two days it was all sold off. Everybody 
seemed to think it quite wonderful. I thought, 
God has conferred his blessing upon me. Nat- 
urally, I thanked him for his great goodness. 

Yet was I not content. Why ? Thinking of 
the far more important business concerning the 
precious souls of multitudes passing to and fro 
on the "great street," I was eager to have some 
one offer me Ching Sing Tong, that I might 
open its doors all day, and reap the glorious 
wages of soul-saving. Then could my heart 
respond, "Amen!" 

Of this I dared not speak. I feared people 
would say : " This young man wishes not to 
work, but has a very ambitious spirit." 

However, let men think as they would, I 
could not endure not to preach. Therefore, by 
day, I stole off to the great street of the city, or 
to neighboring villages, seeking opportunity to 
make known right doctrine. In the evenings, 
I went to the houses of neighbors and friends, 



56 HU YONG ML 

and exhorted them to come to Jesus and walk 
in the way to heaven. Friends, hearing me 
talk, were astonished, and said: "This man, 
when young, never wished to speak a word. If 
he spoke, it was in a very soft voice. Now, 
suddenly, he has great courage, and speaks in a 
loud voice, without ceasing." They thought 
that the gospel of Jesus truly had a remarkable 
effect. Strangers also, seeing me, marveled, and 
asked: "How came this man to be so? Why 
hangs always the name of Jesus upon his lips? 
Reviled by men with many evil words, why 
does he not become angry, and retort ? He does 
not appear stupid nor crazy. Ah ! probably he 
has taken some foreign drug, which has be- 
witched him,* and made him comply, body and 
soul." (Literally, accord head, accord will.) 
Others said: " He is a man of heaven; we can 
not imitate him.'' 

One day I had preached, in a back street in 
the city, to a company of upward of a hundred, 
who listened very quietly, till, having finished 
speaking, I had departed a little way. Then 
the shopmen instigated a troop of children to 



* There is current a belief that children are kidnaped in 
the streets by one placing upon their forehead a magic 
powder, which compels the child to follow where led. 
Teachers of Christianity were supposed to have some like 
potent drug for accomplishing their purposes. 



A LAY PREACHER. 57 

assault me with broken tiles and dirt. At the 
same time the men vociferated loudly, to frighten 
me into making quick escape from the neigh- 
borhood. At once I turned about, and, in an 
unconstrained manner, re-entered the crowd. 
They, seeing that I appeared quite at ease and 
unaffrighted, ceased their noises, and separated 
to allow me to pass quietly through their midst. 
Praise to God for his presence with me in tu- 
mult and in calm, through both opening the 
way to victory ! 

One Sabbath, I, with Ting Sing Mi* and 
Wong Kin Taik,f went to the house of Ling 
Cheng Mi, to invite him to accompany us to a 
village where I was to preach. Ling Cheng 
Mi had an idol-shop, where clay images were 
made. Because the worship of God would 
bring this, his business, to an end, his wife and 
mother, seeing us come to the house, were very 
angry. They vented their rage in many oppro- 
brious words, dashed against us a filthy broom, 
and called to some one to bring a knife and 
cut off our feet, that we might not again come 
to the place. Several hundred had collected in 
the street, and many climbed upon the shop- 
counters for standing-room. These all helped 



*Ting Sing Mi, now in the American Board Mission. 
1 Wong Kin Taik, now ordained preacher in the English 
Church Mission. 

5 



58 HU YONG MI. 

the women to revile us. "Now, 1 ' thought I, 
" there is no alternative ; I must speak to them." 
They were quiet a little while only ; then clamor 
rose again. 

Here, opportunely, appeared a friend of 
mine — a Vegetarian* (who had once influenced 
me to become a Vegetarian) — and exhorted all, 
saying: " Listen, or do not listen — in that mat- 
ter please yourselves ; but let each man attend 
.to his own business.'' To me he said: "These 
all are, of course, unwilling to hear you. You 
would do better to speak elsewhere." 

Ting Sing Mi went to relate the facts of the 
case to my father ; but Wong Kin Taik and I 
proceeded to another village. Notwithstanding 
I had met with such treatment, my heart had 
increased gladness, and I was willing, from that 
time, to shed my blood for the Lord. " But, 
alas!" I thought, "my blood is too little;" — 

" That were a present far too small." 

On my return to my shop, my father was 
awaiting me there. At sight of me, he hastily 
inquired: " Who reviled you? You must give 
me the names. Who dares revile my son ? 
Go with me, and point out the men." My 
heart engaged in secret prayer. I replied to 



® Buddhists, who think merit is attained by abstaining 
from animal food. 



A LAY PREACHER. 59 

my father : " The Bible says, ' Blessed are ye 
when men shall revile you, and persecute you, 
and shall say all manner of evil against you 
falsely for my sake.' " Hearing these words, 
my father clapped his hands, as if well pleased, 
and said, " Yes, your faith is greater than 
mine." He then returned home, and I praised 
God aloud, who had committed to me the 
charge of suffering for Jesus' sake. 

Concerning Wong Kin Taik, I had anxiety, 
because he had just that day determined to be 
a Christian, and I feared his resolution would 
be weakened. Therefore, I engaged in prayer 
for him, and for Ling Cheng Mi, till my voice 
wearied. 

Cheng Mi, at this time, had just begun to 
close his shop and keep the Sabbath, and con- 
sequently suffered great persecution from all the 
members of his household. Early and late they 
kept guard over him, not allowing him to leave 
the house. They feared that, if he went abroad, 
he would come to me, and I would use some 
drug or other method to compel him to ac- 
quiesce with head and heart. 

One night Cheng Mi's wife attempted to 
commit suicide by hanging. She had dressed 
herself carefully, as if to go abroad; then went 
to her own room, and closed the door. Suspi- 
cion was excited. She was discovered, and res- 



60 HU YONG MI. 

cued before the rope had proved fatal. That 
night her mother caine to the door of my shop, 
called my name aloud, and cursed me in the 
most terrible language I had ever heard. Ac- 
cording to native ideas, it was very shameful 
abuse. I, in a loud voice, sang hymns, and, 
after about an hour, she went away. 

After a few days, Cheng Mi made appoint- 
ment, by letter, to meet me at a certain place. 
At sight of me, he was both glad and distressed. 
He said: "My wife has several times attempted 
suicide, — by rope, by opium, by poison. Each 
time I have discovered it in time to frustrate 
her design. Now, what shall I do?" 

I exhorted him, saying: "This is one of the 
crafty schemes of the devil to allure men from 
the way of truth. But you know that the power 
of life and death belongs to God. It is impor- 
tant to stand firm, and to press forward. You 
must not doubt. Call upon God in prayer. Pre- 
serve a loving, tender heart. Beseech God, with 
tears, for your wile; and open your mouth that 
she may hear you pray. I believe that her hard- 
ened heart will recognize her sin, and that in 
less than a week she will come to you and con- 
fess her sins." 

Cheng Mi exclaimed, "Can it be so?" 

" It can be so," I answered, " if you are only 
willing to pursue the method. God will surely 



A LAY PREACHER. 6 1 

bring to pass what you ask; because the Bible 
says, 'Ask and ye shall receive.' Only have 
faith, and this mountain you can remove into 
the sea. I, too, will pray for you." 

Having heard these words, he returned home 
greatly comforted. 

He daily followed the rules given, and in a 
day or two, of course, received help of the 
Holy Spirit. 

On Friday evening following, Cheng Mi came 
and reported: "What you said was prophetic; 
truly, it is fulfilled. With me it was impossible. 
God is omnipotent, — that word is very true. 
Now my wife wishes to see you, to confess to 
you her fault, but feels ashamed to face you." 

I was rejoiced to go. Some urged me not to 
do so, thinking that so sudden a conversion must 
be feigned. I went at once to her house. 

When I saw Cheng Mi's wife before me, mak- 
ing confession of sin, I said to her: "Hereto- 
fore you were ignorant; now God has given you 
the grace of repentance, you should, with me, 
worship God, confess your sins, and ask pardon 
of the Lord. Two days hence, come to Ching 
Sing Tong and worship God with gladness." 

Not long after, his mother and little brother 
came to hear preaching. Truly my heart was 
inexpressibly glad. Still I was anxious about 
Kin Taik, and always praying for him. 



62 HU YONG MI. 

One day, Kin Taik came to me very sorrow- 
ful. He immediately threw himself prostrate 
on the floor, praying. Since his mother had 
learned that I had led her son to the Christians, 
she had been very angry, and cursed me, gnash- 
ing her teeth till her breath was gone. Kin 
Taik took an instrument and pried open her 
mouth, his heart burdened with sadness, and en- 
gaged in importunate prayer. 

When breath returned to his mother, she 
then said to Kin Taik : a Are you now willing to 
promise me never again to go to that man's 
house, and never to speak of Christianity again? 
If you do so, I shall be entirely well of my 
illness." 

Kin Taik replied: "There is no need to speak 
of that now. Wait till mother is well ; I will 
then talk plainly." 

On this account, for a long time, Kin Taik 
had not come to see me. His circumstances 
were very distressing. They kept strict guard 
over him— not allowing him to leave the place. 
When, a few times, he attempted to go out, the 
mother fainted away again as if dying.* 

One day it was necessary for Kin Taik to go 
out to sell his pictures. (He, too, was a land- 
scape painter.) He called, therefore, to see me 

""" ^According to Chinese ideas, it is a great crime to dis- 
obey a parent, or bring trouble upon father or mother. 



A LAY PREACHER. 63 

a few moments; but a brother, who had se- 
cretly followed him, rushed in while we were 
talking, and exclaimed : " Now mother is ill 
again, — very dangerously. I have straightway 
come to compel you to return home." Although 
this brother was a literary man, a sin-tsai (A.B.), 
he was not very bright. When I offered him 
tea he persistently declined, fearing that in the 
tea might be a drug potent to convert him to 
Christianity. 

Kin Taik went home with his brother, and 
his mother so restricted him to the house, for- 
bidding his leaving it, that for two or three 
months he did not come to me. I was very 
anxious about him, not knowing whether his 
faith was firm enough to triumph over his 
mother's opposition. Therefore, one Sabbath, 
after service, I went to the city to seek him. 
Before starting, I fasted and prayed. Walking 
along the street, I dared not turn my eyes to the 
right or the left; but with head bowed and eyes 
on the ground, exercised my whole soul in 
prayer. I feared not what calamity might be- 
fall me on arriving at his house; I was willing 
to suffer, if need be. On my arrival, the people 
of the house seemed very much alarmed. Kin 
Taik's mother immediately closed the door of 
her room, and would not see me. I questioned 
Kin Taik as to his faith. In a low voice he 



64 HU YONG MI. 

responded: "In the midst of black darkness, one 
must have light. When the sky is bright, there 
is natural light." I answered him: "You must 
be diligent to come to the light, lest your light 
be darkened." 

I then turned to go home. Kin Taik and 
his brother accompanied me to the outer door. 
As I parted from Kin Taik, I said to him, fur- 
ther, " If you only pray constantly, and trust in 
the help of God, you will triumph over all." 

Kin Taik at home sometimes groaned, some- 
times sang with loud voice, sometimes knelt 
and prayed, and sometimes, with members of 
the household or with neighbors, discoursed 
Christian doctrine. 

People did not know the reason for his acting 
thus. Some supposed him to be deranged. 
Often, while he was painting, his brush would 
wander over the picture and ruin it, because his 
thoughts were not on his work, his whole mind 
being set on going to church. 

Through sorrow, he became emaciated. His 
mother, observing him so thin and sad, re- 
marked : " Your father died long ago, when your 
brothers were all little. Then circumstances 
were very afflictive. Now the brothers are 
grown to manhood; we are all prosperous; why 
are you troubled ?" 

Kin Taik replied : " I am not troubled about 



A LAY PREACHER. 65 

those things. If my mother is willing for me 
to go and worship God, I shall then be well." 

His mother, sighing, answered : "I wish now 
to save my son's life, so please yourself. Go, and 
become a Christian ; but henceforth you need 
not see my face. I shall reckon my child the 
same as dead, and you consider me as dead." 
Kin Taik, hearing the word that he might be- 
come a Christian, was more happy than words 
could express. He gathered up all his painting 
utensils, and came running to me, exclaiming, 
as soon as he saw me, " The sky has bright- 
ened !" 

Now only was he sorrowful on account of the 
words of his mother, that hereafter they should 
not see each other. We prayed and sang to- 
gether, giving thanks for grace received, and 
earnestly entreating for his mother and brothers. 

We then went to the house of Rev. R. S. 
Maclay, and told him the history, and spoke of 
Kin Taik's being baptized and entering the 
Church at the next quarterly-meeting. After 
that, Kin Taik lived with me awhile, and in a 
short time we planned to go together to preach 
the gospel everywhere. 

We thought we would just preach, and travel 
from city to city, from village to village, nor 
think of turning homewards, but give our whole 
lives to the Lord's service till death. If the 



66 HU YONG MI. 

money which we took gave out, we would 
eat salt and water, and it should be our living. 

In this manner we started to go, everywhere 
preaching. There were those who debated, who 
blasphemed, who reviled, and those who received 
the word with gladness. 

Thank the Lord, some darkened hearts were 
opened and gradually enlightened by the truth. 
At the end, we had always victory. But, although 
the heart was willing, the flesh was weak. More- 
over at inns and ferries everywhere, money was 
required, so that we did not follow out our orig- 
inal idea, but were obliged to return. 

We went together to my shop. In a few 
days came a messenger from Kin Taik's 
mother, calling him to come home. She, find- 
ing that he was quite determined, put no more 
obstacles in his way. At the next quarterly- 
meeting he was baptized and received into the 
Church. Afterward, his mother and brothers 
came to a fair understanding of the truth ; but 
because they esteemed rank with men more 
than rank with God, and feared men more than 
they feared God, it was difficult for them to act 
in accordance with the doctrine of Jesus. 

I thought, " Through Ta-ting * the number 
passing to and fro is very great. I wish that I 



* Ta-ting, a large tea pavilion, which gives its name to 
the locality of Ching Sing Tong. 



A LAY PREACHER. 67 

could open the doors of Ching Sing Tong, and 
preach all day." Of course, there were others, 
who took turns preaching there, but not more 
than two or three hours a day. 

One day I requested ray brother, P6 Mi, to 
ask Rev. Otis Gibson if I might be permitted to 
open Ching Sing Tong, and preach there. My 
brother inquired, " Would you venture to preach 
in a large chapel?" 

I replied, " 1 hope the Lord will help me, 
and give me great courage." 

My brother was unaware of my having 
already preached in the city and in villages. 
Rev. Mr, Gibson responded by promising to ac- 
company me to a small preaching place in an 
unfrequented street, for a trial. Going thither, 
as I walked along the road, I prayed secretly, 
and, on arrival, I had great courage in preach- 
ing. This was my first preaching in a chapel. 



CHAPTER VII. 
ITINERATING AS A PREACHER. 

DURING these days, Rev. R. S. Maclay and 
my brother, P6 Mi, frequently went to- 
gether to Ngu Kang, Kwi Hung, Yek Yong, and 
other places, and I sometimes accompanied them. 

One time, after service at Kwi Hung, we 
went in the afternoon to Ngu Kang, and Rev. 
Mr. Maclay there invited me to preach. I was 
willing, and was stirred with many thoughts to 
preach ; but I was timid about taking a text of 
Scripture to expound, lest the exposition and the 
text might not accord. If missionaries were not 
present I had boldness in preaching. 

I also went with Dr. Wentworth from village 
to village, preaching. He was popular where 
he went, taking notice of little children, etc. 
At the present time I meet those grown to ma- 
turity who were children then, and they make 
inquiries about him. 

Afterward, when I preached daily in Ching 
Sing Tong, often among the auditors were 
Tauists, Buddhists, Confucianists, and Roman 
Catholics. The throng was great and the 
clamor loud, so that I had to speak with a high 

68 



ITINERATING AS A PREACHER. 69 

voice in order to drown the voices of the many 
disputants. 

When questioned, I sometimes answered 
without thoroughly comprehending either ques- 
tion or answer. In after years, when I had 
read many books, I came across subjects upon 
which I had been questioned in those early days, 
and I found that I had answered correctly. 
Thereby I knew that it was God's Spirit alone 
that helped me proclaim the doctrine. 

One day, Rev. Mr. Maclay said to my 
brother: "Just now preachers are wanted. Do 
you know if a certain one would give up his 
drawing, and go forth to help publish Christian 
doctrine?" 

My brother replied: "At this time he is 
teaching a few apprentices, who have not yet 
completed their term of instruction. I think 
you had better not ask him to go." 

He subsequently reported the conversation 
to me, and I was very sorry. I thought my 
brother was more concerned about human affairs 
than about the cause of God. However, I kept 
silent, and concealed my unhappiness. 

Soon afterward Rev. Mr. Maclay returned to 
his native country. It was very hard for all to 
part with him, for he was a devout, correct, zeal- 
ous, careful shepherd. 

Not long after, Rev, Mr. Gibson came to 



JO HU YONG MI. 

Ching Sing Tong, and said to me: "I know 
that you often steal away to preach, not giving 
full six days' work to your business, and that you 
often follow our ministers into the country on 
their trips without receiving any remuneration. 
Now, our mission has decided to pay you a 
small sum, and the money is committed to me. 
I pass it to you ; you must accept it. Here- 
after, when our missionaries invite you to ac- 
company them into the country, they will pay 
you a fixed sum per week for your rice." 

I wished not at all to hear these words. I 
thought, " Nothing have I to recompense the 
grace which Jesus has bestowed upon me. His 
ardent love compels me to what I do. Is that 
not something to stimulate me?" I feared, 
moreover, that money furnished would obscure 
my heart's love for Christ, and make an imped- 
iment in my speech as a preacher. 

I then answered, " J will not receive it." 
Rev. Mr. Gibson said : "If you do not take 
the money, and do not perform your own work, 
I fear that you will become poor. When any of 
us go into the country hereafter, we shall not 
dare ask you to accompany us." I thought, God 
has abundantly blessed me in my work. I have 
a surplus. Why are the ministers anxious 
about me ? 

Since I had no anxiety myself about anything 



ITINERATING AS A PREACHER. 71 

at that time, I did not comprehend their kind- 
ness. Later, it was apparent to me what deep 
knowledge and great love they had in making 
adequate provision for my physical and spiritual 
wants. In those days I thought myself very 
near heaven, — that to-day, or to-morrow, I might 
be in heaven; not imagining that these many 
years I should be a dweller on earth. 

I said: "You ministers have decided that I 
should take this money. I, one man, can not 
serve two masters; now, therefore, I have a 
word to say; but I do not know whether it is 
right. 

"Please speak on," rejoined Rev. Mr. Gibson. 

I continued: "For a long time I have in my 
heart greatly desired to go and preach the gos- 
pel, but I have been timid about speaking of it 
plainly. I have feared that perhaps I was too 
young, too ignorant of the Scriptures — an unfit 
instrument. Are you willing to try me? If 
only I am worthy, when I become a preacher, 
then willingly, gladly, will I relinquish all bus- 
iness, and with my whole heart do the work of 
a minister. Will that answer?" 

Rev. Mr. Gibson, hearing these words, drew 
forth a handkerchief and wiped tears from his 
eyes a little while ; then he invited me to kneel 
with him in prayer. I did not yet know what 
he thought. 



72 HU YONG ML 

The prayer ended, he said: "Do you know 
why my heart was so touched that I shed tears? 
When I was at school in America, many years 
ago, I saw in a newspaper an article on the 
idolatry and ignorance of the Chinese. Feeling 
great pity for them, I resolved that when I left 
school I would come to China to preach. 
Thanks to God for sending me to China ! See- 
ing the multitudes, I desired greatly to declare 
unto them the doctrines of the Savior ; but, alas! 
it was very difficult to learn this language. 
Then it occurred to me that there must be na- 
tive converts who desired to preach, and who 
could do so efficiently; so I thought of choosing 
some to do the Lord's work ; yet I feared that 
they whom I chose might be of my human call- 
ing alone, not such as God himself had called to 
preach. Then I prayed to God: 'Let him 
whom thou hast called come and declare to me 
by his own lips, " I will relinquish all business, 
and, with my whole heart, do the work of a min- 
ister, 1 ' — thus shall I know that he is one whom 
thou hast commissioned.' This prayer I have 
continued to offer, for a long time without an- 
swer. To-day, I heard you yourself utter those 
words — you desire to relinquish all business, 
and, with your whole heart, do the work of a 
minister — this is the answer to my prayer. 
Therefore, I could not refrain from weeping for 



ITINERATING AS A PREACHER. 73 

gladness. I think it is God's will to make you 
an instrument for the native ministry." He 
added, "To-morrow night come to the residence 
of Rev. Mr. Martin, and have a talk with all the 
missionaries." 

In the meeting I heard one very strange 
thing, — it was, that in the Methodist Episcopal 
Church the preacher's family must move from 
place to place. This was very novel to me. 
From my earliest days I had never known any- 
thing like it. (Chinese greatly esteem the place 
of their birth. If a man goes abroad, it is con- 
sidered a matter of affliction ; for a family to 
move is an almost unheard-of calamity. This 
sentiment is embodied in a familiar proverb.) 
I thought my youth and inexperience in worldly 
affairs would render my moving to distant places 
a very difficult matter. Rev. Mr. Gibson asked 
me, "How do you decide?" I replied: "I had 
not imagined this custom. Of course, it is 
difficult ; but my heart is entirely willing, for 
the Savior's sake." Again, he asked, " Will 
your wife be willing to go with you?" " I do 
not know; I must wait till I go home and ask," 
I responded. 

Going home, and talking over the subject of 
my going from one place to another, my wife 
said: "It matters not to what place; if you are 
willing to go, I will go with you." 
6 



74 HU YONG MI. 

Repeating to the missionaries this reply, they 
were very glad. 

My appointment was to Teng Kan — up the 
river, about thirteen miles from Foochow. I 
visited the place, and was received with the ut- 
most cordiality by the people. Ready offers of 
assistance were made, and I had no difficulty in 
renting a house. One of the missionaries then 
thought he would go aud see the place. The 
presence of the foreigner frightened the people. 
They refused me the house which I had engaged, 
and, to the present time, not one in that place 
has received the gospel. I think it was the 
Lord's will that I should not move to Teng 
Kan. I continued preaching at Ching Sing 
Tong, associated with Kin Taik, Cheng Mi, and 
others. Often we preached from early morning 
till dark, and saw the power of God manifested 
in convincing many of his truth. 

My family lived in a small house, to the left 
of Ching Sing Tong. The ground was the prop- 
erty of the Church, and was lent for the build- 
ing of a row of three small houses. 

About a month before, Rev. Mr. Gibson had 
brought to Ching Sing Tong a Scotch gentle- 
man from Amoy, dressed in native costume — 
Rev. Win. Burns. He was much pleased with 
the chapel as a place for his residence. Of course, 
there were better places, but none that he pre- 



ITINERATING AS A PREACHER. 75 

ferred. He thought, when he saw Ching Sing 
Tong, "This is the place which the Lord has 
prepared for me." He, therefore, moved to the 
chapel. On my return from Teng Kan, he 
already spoke the Foochow colloquial, and ex- 
plained Scripture therein. 

We had all regarded him as a very ordinary 
man at first, till we met with him, and heard 
him pray and expound Scripture. 

The first night, we heard him preach from 
the Gospel of Matthew, and all hearts were 
greatly moved. It was as if he opened inesti- 
mable treasures for which we hungered. All 
listened intently as he spoke. Indeed, to an ex- 
ceeding degree, he had ability and power from 
the Holy Spirit in the exposition of Scripture 
and in prayer, raising men's hearts close to God, 
and showing how his Word agrees with 'con- 
verted hearts, even as the marks of one bank- 
note correspond to another. Hereby I under- 
stood that the work in the heart of the converted 
man, and the revelation of the Holy Scriptures, 
were both by the same Holy Spirit. Thus 
things which in my own experience had been 
dark, now shone forth clear and bright. In the 
Bible, many things which had been obscure I 
understood better, and a pathway of light began 
to be opened through the Scriptures. 

One thing for which I had most longed was 



76 HU YONG MI. 

clear evidence that Jesus was truly the Son of 
God ; having the office of Savior and Mediator. 
The words of his discourse on the Lord's great 
love were very sweet to hear, and caused all our 
souls to leap with great joy, and strengthened 
our faith. So, with exceeding joy and lively 
faith, we met together for preaching, singing, 
and prayer. I recollected that I had formerly 
prayed God to grant me a missionary to live 
near me. Now the petition was granted, al- 
though its answer had been a little delayed. 
This increased my faith in prayer, showing me 
that God surely does not at all forget men's 
prayers ; perhaps early, perhaps late, he will cer- 
tainly accomplish the matter. After this, we 
were associated together several months. Morn- 
ing and evening we heard him expound Scrip- 
ture, and we saw his deep faith, industry, and 
zeal, most reverent, most correct, — his peace, 
purity, love, wisdom, modesty, and moderation, — 
like a bright effluence as he passed. All, of 
course, reaped great benefit, and were incited to 
greater benevolence and self-sacrifice. 






CHAPTER VIII. 

CIRCUIT PREACHING. 

SOME disciples at Ngu Kang had earnestly 
prayed and longed for a minister of the gos- 
pel, to give them instruction in the Scriptures, 
and no one had yet been sent them. 

Rev. Mr. Gibson came and said to me, "At 
this time it seems just right that you should go 
there." 

I was rejoiced, and I was anxious. Every 
place has many like the Pharisees and Saddu- 
cees. My wife and I would be in a strange 
place; moreover, I was not an orator. 

I prayed God to go with us; to grant me 
wisdom to preach and to expound Scripture 
without error ; that I might arouse men, and 
lead all to Jesus for salvation. While in 
my room, praying thus fervently and with 
trembling, God strengthened my purpose, com- 
forted and helped me, and promised to grant 
me wisdom and ability beyond what I asked. 
Therefore, my heart experienced great peace. 

At that time there were those in my family 
who would hinder me. They were unwilling 
that I should leave my business. (They would 

77 



78 HU YONG MI. 

not assist me by taking over my shop.) There- 
fore, I determined simply to abandon the shop 
and the things in it, and thus gain liberty to go 
abroad. 

Then, on the 17th day of the 3d month of 
the 10th year of Hien-fung (April, i860), I left 
my native place for Ngu Kang. 

The mission engaged a small boat to carry 
our household utensils. Rev. Mr. Gibson lent 
his own sedan for my wife, and he escorted 
us to the boat. It was very difficult to part 
with mother, sisters, and all. 

They all only looked into my face, and spoke 
not. Although Ngu Kang was only twelve 
miles distant, it was to my family as if I were 
going to a foreign country, and to me it appeared 
the same. 

Although I sought to exercise great patience 
and self-restraint, and not allow the others to 
think upon the subject of the separation, yet I 
could not prevent tears from falling. I retired 
to reflect, and thought, "You ought to be very 
happy and joyful to do the Lord's work. Why 
is your heart so grieved?" 

Thus stimulated, but with head bowed down, 
I departed from the doorway. 

The boat took us as far as Teng Kan. There 
we went ashore. It was nearly dark. People 
were greatly pleased to see me. Christians were 



CIRCUIT PREACHING. 79 

at the landing waiting to help me move my 
things to Ngu Kang. I went to live in the 
house of Li Sing Mi and Li Yen Mi, two 
brothers. 

Rev. Mr. Gibson had given me permission to 
return every Friday to Foochow for study and 
examination. Thus I again met with Mr. 
Burns, studying the Bible with him, and taking 
lessons in singing. 

Before Mr. Burns came we had but two or 
three hymns; he made upwards of thirty or 
forty. Often we sat in converse or in singing 
till the early cockcrowing warned us. Perhaps 
we would be quite in the dark, the lamps hav- 
ing burned out while we sang with closed eyes. 
Then for a few hours we separated to rest, and 
early Saturday morning I went to Ngu Kang, 
taking what hymns I had learned to teach them 
to others. 

After a few days, I went to call on all my 
parishioners. In front of their houses I saw 
piles of refuse, and filthy ditches. Within, all 
was very dirty, — pigs, cattle, fowls, sheep, all 
together in the one house. Not a chair was 
there to sit upon. 

All went out to work in the fields. They 
had no leisure to comb hair or wash faces, and 
even when going to bed, they seldom bathed 
their feet. How pitiable ! God created man so 



80 HU YONG MI. 

beautiful, and by the devil have they been 
brought to the uses of old broom-stubs. Imme- 
diately I thought, " The Lord descended from 
heaven, and was born in a manger ; he ate with 
sinners, and received such men as these, upon 
whom he carefully wrought, as a lapidary upon 
precious stones, until they became as gems of 
crystal pureness. Ah! that love; how deep, 
how great ! Thanks to God for choosing me, 
an ignorant man, to go out of my small house, 
and to be used in his beloved work, in the midst 
of his own people!" 

At once I began assembling the people, each 
evening, for Scripture reading, singing, and 
prayer. None knew characters. Some held 
their books upside down ; some mistook a whole 
column for one character. Therefore, I caused 
all to sit around a table, and I passed around, 
laying a finger of each one upon each character 
as I taught it. When they had learned some 
characters, I then explained their meaning ; and 
I also taught them singing. 

The Holy Spirit was signally manifest, so that 
the faith of some among us increased daily, and 
they were filled with great joy. They were 
eager for the evening to come, and longed for the 
Sabbath as for a feast time. They greatly re- 
vered the Bible. 

Farmers, woodsmen, blacksmiths, herdsmen, 



CIRCUIT PREACHING. 8 1 

all carried to their work the Book of Matthew, 
or a hymn-book, and studied in moments of rest 
from labor. Often the voice of singing was 
heard from the hills or the roadside ; whenever 
a company of men worked together, while hands 
were busy their tongues were speaking of the 
books. Thus I saw the happiness of all in- 
crease. 

On Sabbath-days I made the circuit of Kwi 
Hung and Ngu Kang, and, after preaching, I 
appointed members, two by two, to go and 
preach in every village. In the evenings, when 
we assembled, I inquired about the opportuni- 
ties in each place, and questioned those whom 
I had sent, on the subjects of their discourses, 
and their methods of conducting services. Then 
we prayed for all those who had been hearers 
of the doctrine. 

As a result, the Savior's name was very 
quickly spread abroad through all that region, 
and a goodly number were added to the Church. 
Believers, men and women, were generally mind- 
ful of the poor and the sick among their num- 
ber, visiting and ministering comfort to them, 
presenting them with such products as their 
grounds yielded. One thing troubled me. I 
wished for opportunity to preach to the people 
by day, but could not do so, because all were in 
the mountains or the fields at work. If I went 



82 HU YONG MI. 

to their houses or to their bamboo huts on the 
hills, I commonly found none present save the 
sick, or the old and deaf. Sometimes I walked 
long distances and found no opportunity to 
speak. 

The district was mountainous, the paths 
steep. "Alas!" I sighed, " I have a tongue, and 
no chance to speak; I have feet, and no road 
to walk." 

One day I stood in front of my house, looking 
over the fields where many men were at work 
planting rice. In my heart, mourning, I said : 
"Much seed have I, and no place to sow." 
Then I prayed to God, saying: "It would be 
the best thing to send down a heavy rain in 
order to afford me opportunity to gather to- 
gether these many people and preach to them." 

In less than half an hour after this thought, 
suddenly down poured great rain. All from the 
fields came swiftly running for shelter to my 
house. I very joyfully embraced the good op- 
portunity to preach, and all received my exhor- 
tations with gladness. 

From this time forth, some were constantly 
coming, bringing their friends to hear me dis- 
course. I afterward learned that in the heat of 
summer the farmers were accustomed to spend 
their noontime within a temple near, or in the 
forest shade. Therefore, daily I went seeking 



CIRCUIT PREACHING. 83 

opportunity to preach to the people ; although 
the body was weak, the heart within experienced 
more peace. 

After having been there some time, I met Dr. 
Wentworth, who asked me: "How old are 
you?" "Twenty," I replied. "No, you are 
eighty," he rejoined. So much had the wind 
and sun bronzed me. 

There was one living in the same house with 
us who was the first convert of Ngu Kang, and 
whose nature was like a reed. He was fond of 
eating, disinclined to work. It was difficult to im- 
prove him. Gradually he disconnected himself 
from the Church, and afterward died. His fam- 
ily sent for a Tauist priest to come to the chapel 
and set out the " spirits' table," and perform the 
usual ceremonies.* The chapel was half rented 



*The ceremony of setting the ling-ton, or spirits' table, 
takes place the seventh day after the decease. The priest in- 
forms the spirit that death has occurred, and for comfort 
makes promises to furnish money, clothes, provisions, etc. 
A table is then set out, a chair and footstool for the de- 
parted. A bowl is placed on the table in which incense is 
burned every night, so that in case the spirit has lost 
its way, the odor of incense may direct it home. The 
spirit is invited, as part of the ceremony, to take its place 
at the table. In the morning, one weeping carries hot water, 
and invites the unseen one to bathe, and offers him rice. At 
night he is invited to retire to a bed. This is kept up for 
forty- nine days. The table usually stands a year, some- 
times three years. 



84 HU YONG MI. 

by us, the other half belonging to the heathen 
family. I used the whole for religious services, 
and I could not prevent their using it for their 
purposes. 

This was the Sabbath, and the friends wished 
to use the place all day for the devil's business. 
Very early, at daybreak, came the Tauist priest, 
bringing many idol pictures to hang upon the 
walls. We had already begun prayers, and asked 
him to withdraw for a little time. We thought 
he might wait till the relatives of the deceased 
appeared. We prayed very earnestly that the 
idol pictures might be taken away, and not be 
allowed to desecrate the holy place again. 

By and by, very naturally, the relatives quar- 
reled among themselves. Those on one side 
said: "We are determined to use this money 
only for the benefit of the widow and children." 
Thereby was the devil's business frustrated, and 
the priest was asked to return home. He, as- 
tonished, exclaimed: "Never before have I 
seen people act so!' 1 He was angry, and un- 
willing to go away. Then all contributed a lit- 
tle money for him, and very shamefacedly he 
just took it and went. This was altogether most 
clearly an answer to our prayer — petition by peti- 
tion, all was accomplished. The Christians, ex- 
ultant, clapped their hands with joy, and praised 
God for so manifesting his Divine power, com- 



CIRCUIT PREACHING. 85 

pelling Satan to leave us and to flee away 
with shame. With a louder voice they praised 
Jehovah. 

The membership of the Church increased 
steadily. Although the members were mostly 
poor, they resolved to contribute money and 
labor toward building a chapel on the hillside as 
a permanent place for the worship of God. 
They agreed to solicit help from the mission to 
the amount of one hundred dollars. 

Dr. Gibson said to them: "You must esti- 
mate very carefully. I fear you will not have 
enough to complete the building." One of the 
old members, Ung Sien Mi, in a loud voice, de- 
clared, "There is enough and to spare." He 
had thought fifty dollars from the mission 
enough; now that one hundred were promised, 
why should there not be a surplus? 

As I was a young man, and knew nothing 
about building, I engaged older and more ex- 
perienced members to attend to the business. 
Then, just to be prudent, I called together quite 
a number of the old members of the Church, 
who were skilled in carpentry, and questioned 
them about the business, item by item, taking 
estimates of materials and of labor. They 
gave satisfactory answers to all my inquiries. 
I now expected no trouble. How could I know 
that, the work once begun, I was to be involved 



86 HU YONG MI. 

in difficulties of all kinds? The masons and car- 
penters disappointed me. When they had worked 
up about half the materials they absconded. The 
few old Church members were afraid, and dared 
not go forward. The young men must pur- 
sue their daily work for a livelihood, nor had 
they any controlling power. Then persecutions 
broke out in many places against the Christians. 
All the business responsibility devolved upon 
me. Truly I had many grievous annoyances. 
Since I was not experienced in the business, 
what could I do? The building materials were on 
the hill, with no one to guard them. I was anx- 
ious lest a thief or an enemy should steal them. 
Sleep by night was broken. If a dog barked at 
midnight or at cockcrowing, some one must go 
and reconnoiter. When rain fell, I was troubled 
lest the unfinished mud walls might be washed 
away. 

However, at last the work was completed, 
all thanks to Rev. Mr. Gibson, who exerted 
himself to collect more funds from his Iriends 
in various places. On a winter's night he came 
by boat to help us about the building of the 
chapel. He walked up to Ngu Kang, arriving 
before daylight. Although it was very cold, he 
sat upon a rock outside, unwilling to knock at 
the door, lest he should disturb our sleep. After 
a while some one saw him, and knocked at the 



CIRCUIT PREACHING. 87 

door and informed me. I immediately went 
out — it was still night — brought him into the 
house, and kindled a fire of dry weeds for him 
to warm himself. Ah! his zealous heart in- 
cited him always in this manner. His ex- 
ample strengthened the virtues of all Church 
members. To this time his memory is like a 
flame in my heart. Truly, he was a loving pas- 
tor to me and to all. Although he has been 
separated from us a long time, the tears will 
come when I think of him ! All were greatly 
grieved at parting with him. He stimulated 
the members to go forward, energetically, with 
the chapel building. I knew some old brethren, 
very destitute, having nothing for food but poor 
"potato-rice,* who gave their services in con- 
structing the walls. 

When the work was nearly done, and we 
were deficient only in money for plastering and 
cement, we received a visit from a brother of 
the American Board Mission, Sing Sin Ching, 
and Rev. William Burns. They assisted us with 
a little money. Afterward there came an Eng- 
lish Wesleyan naval officer from a gunboat, who 
subscribed for the, painting of the chapel. His 
generosity and his features I have always re- 
membered. 



* Sweet-potatoes, grated very coarsely and dried in the 



88 HU YONG MI. 

The members at Kwi Hung were also zeal- 
ous in spirit, and without trouble built a chapel 
(with $100 mission money added to their own 
subscriptions). 

At this time Li Yu Mi's faith was growing, 
and the purposes of his heart were firmly estab- 
lished. In all sorts of conditions and circum- 
stances he was unmoved. His words were with- 
out flattery, without self-consciousness. He was 
faithful in doing good, and more clearly than 
all the others he comprehended doctrines. 
Constantly he labored heartily to assist the 
preachers. Knowing not a character when I 
first went to the place, he studied so diligently 
that he became thoroughly versed in the Scrip- 
tures. We thought him one called of God to 
preach, and therefore exhorted the Church mem- 
bers of Ngu Kang, Kwi Hung, Ching Sing Tong, 
and Tieng Aug Tong, to subscribe for his sup- 
port as a preacher. They raised about two dol- 
lars a month for him. Li Yu Mi was rejoiced 
to receive it, and to give up his trade entirely, 
and travel with me, preaching. I also was 
glad. Monthly, at each place, I collected the 
subscription for Yu Mi, and advanced to him the 
money where there was a deficiency. 

At times, tempted of the devil, the wives 
of converts raised persecutions and opposed 
their learning right doctrine and observing the 



CIRCUIT PREACHING. 89 

Sabbath. Hence there were scoldings to bear, 
and beatings, deprivations of food, expulsions 
from the house, and very many troubles. Out- 
side enemies increased, and conspired to injure 
the Christians. Domestic animals were stolen. 
Betrothals, where one party was a Christian, 
were broken. The officers were not expeditious 
in trying cases, and many Church members 
were very urgent and impatient under their op- 
pressions, and annoyed me very much. Chris- 
tians were refused well-water, denied the right 
of way, and made to suffer many other afflic- 
tions and persecutions because they refused to 
subscribe money for idol processions. Daily, 
plans were laid for tormenting them. Not- 
withstanding these things, all were constrained 
to suffer patiently for the Lord's sake, and to 
overcome evil with good. 

The enemies finding that no one retorted, 
supposed that these Christians were a contempt- 
ible sect. Their anger increased the more, and 
disturbances were frequent. They had great 
boldness, fearing nothing. I even heard that 
they beat drums in all the villages many times, 
calling upon the "five rulers"* to come and 
seize us; but the Ngu-ta, through the medium, 
responded: "Their god is very great, and has 



*The five rulers are emperors; the Ngu-ta are the gods 
governing plagues. 

7 



90 HU YONG ML 

power; we dare not approach them." Some 
called upon the demons of cattle and dogs, whose 
priests used incense-powder as a charm against 
us, casting it into our drinking-water. They 
expected to see us attacked with grievous mal- 
adies in consequence; but, notwithstanding, 
they perceived that we continued in good health, 
uninjured. 

Afterward they themselves were seized with 
very serious illness. Some came and declared 
to me that the cattle-and-dog demons had spoken 
by the mouth of the sick, saying: "You sent us 
to beat the Christians. We did not dare to go 
into them; but, returning, we have come to you, 
and now are about to carry you off." The 
noise of this was spread abroad everywhere. 
All men were greatly astonished. Unbelievers 
hardened their hearts to the end, and were ene- 
mies of right doctrine. They contemned the 
good and feared the evil. If we were modest, 
they were the more bold. If we maintained 
silence, they vociferated curses without ceasing. 
The proverb says, "When you wish to drive 
away trouble, troubles increase." Yet we feared 
God, and did not return evil for evil, but with 
tears made supplications for them. 

The climate of Ngu Kang was not good. 
My wife and children all had malarial fever, 
and I was sick nearly unto death. As if dwell- 



CIRCUIT PREACHING. 9 1 

ing on a range between heaven and earth, and 
in a dilemma whether to go or stay, I asked 
the Father, and he replied, " You have more of 
my work to do on earth." 

When about recovered from my illness, hav- 
ing been just one year at Ngu Kang, on the 
seventeenth day, third month of the eleventh 
year of Hien-feng, I went with Li Cheng Mi to 
preach in the city of Eternal Felicity — Ing Hok. 
No foreigner had yet ever visited the city, nor 
had the gospel ever been preached there. I felt 
that I had not long to live, and must do all I 
could toward the spread of Christianity. We 
preached at all villages through which we 
passed. 

The night we were at Sien Mek K'a (Small 
Eye Brook) we stopped in the home of one sur- 
named Ung. He listened to the doctrine with 
understanding. The whole family believed in 
the Lord, and in the morning they brought out 
all their idols and buried them. 

We pursued our journey, taking with us an 
old man, a disciple, to carry our books and sun- 
dries. We usually stopped early where we were 
to lodge, and the host went out and invited 
friends and neighbors to come to evening preach- 
ing. Many heard and received the word with 
gladness. On the twelfth day we arrived at 
Ing Hok City. In the first place we visited the 



92 HU YONG ML 

various inns, speaking to the landlords, winning 
their good-will, and distributing a few books. 
At every place we were welcomed and urged to 
tarry longer. On the second morning after ar- 
rival I preached in the municipal temple. All 
the city, old and young, seemed to have gath- 
ered at the temple. The throng was great. 
The tables set for the sale of provisions were 
upset. The stone lions were occupied. I stood 
at the top of the high stone steps, and before 
me was a multitude filling the court of the 
temple. 

When I began to speak, all were silent, 
and continued so till I had talked my throat so 
parched that I could not say another word. 
Even when I had finished, no one stirred from 
the assembly. They gazed upon me as though 
they thought me a spirit descended from the 
sky. 

Cheng Mi preached in another temple of the 
city. One class of men gave him some annoy- 
ance. At night placards were posted hostile to the 
new doctrine, but they were quickly torn down by 
those who perceived their impropriety. In the 
evening some of the gentry sought us, and very 
humbly solicited us to visit them and to remain 
in the city to instruct the people. After three 
days my eyes pained me ; I could not eat ; and 
I departed. At the inns my rest had been very 



CIRCUIT PREACHING. 93 

poor each night; the beds and bedding were so 
foul I spent the nights in a chair, my head rest- 
ing upon a table, upon which I spread a cloth. 
The food also was so unclean that I dared not 
eat what was prepared at the inn, but bought a 
few cakes for refreshment. Living in this man- 
ner, I had become very weak. 

On board the ferry-boat I fell asleep a little 
while. Waking, I heard the passengers discuss- 
ing, with commendation, the doctrine of Jesus, 
saying, "Truly it is right doctrine." There- 
upon, in their midst, arose one Foochow man 
and reproved them, and the rest dared not de- 
bate. Therefore was I constrained, though 
physically weak, to arise and reason with him. 
The passengers on board listened with great 
pleasure; but the one man who had argued 
against them looked as if he had just wakened, 
repentant and ashamed. 

When the boat moored at Tai Chiong, the 
Foochow man immediately ran away. After a 
few years I frequently saw the same man out- 
side a chapel, listening while I was preaching. 
I always wished, as soon as the service was 
ended, to go and invite him to come in and ad- 
dress us, but he invariably escaped too soon. 

From Tai Chiong we went by boat, the next 
morning, to Nang-sen. Here I hoped to see 
Rev. William Burns, who had been preaching at 



94 



HU YONG MI. 



Nang-sen, but I learned that he had, a few days 
before, left for Formosa. I grieved in spirit, 
and mourned all the way to Ngu Kang. 

I found my wife and children still suffering 
from malarial fever. My son, Chaik Hang, was 
then under two years of age, and became lame 
from fever. 

Cheng Mi was appointed to Sien Mek K'a. 
On the hillside, midway between Siong Naung 
and Sien Mek K'a, was a small wayside shrine. 
It happened that somebody overturned the in- 
cense urn which stood before the idol within this 
shrine. Then a medium, possessed of the spirit 
of the idol, falsely declared : " I (the god) have all 
but been driven to Huug-tu * by these Christians. 
Since their God is very mighty, and continually 
passes this way, I have no peace. Moreover, 
I must provide entertainment for him ; there- 
fore my treasury funds are about gone. Now, 
therefore, you, my devotees, must hasten and 
replenish the treasury. 1 ' 

The whole village was enraged. It was the 
time of quarterly-meeting at Sien Mek K'a, 
and Rev. R. S. Maclay was attending. He went 
early Monday morning to the boat. Later, 
Wong K'in Taik, Cheng Mi, and a man named 
Ch'ai, followed toward the boat. The road passed 



A department in Hades. 



CIRCUIT PREACHING. 95 

by the village of Siong Naung, about a mile from 
Sien Mek K'a. There, some villagers, who were 
lying in wait, seized Cheng Mi. They tied his 
thumbs together behind his back, and with a 
rope made fast to his hands and his cue, hung 
him on a tree so that his feet just escaped the 
ground, and then beat him with iron rods. 

Ch'ai was a man of very honorable descent, 
his great-grandfather having been a teacher of 
three emperors. He therefore had influence 
with officials. He at once went to Teuk-kie, 
three miles distant, and announced the facts to 
a customs officer, who dispatched soldiers to 
Cheng Mi's relief. Nothing more was done. 
Some Church members wished to have the of- 
fenders arrested, and punished as an example ; 
but this was not done. Much discussion was 
excited on the subject. Some members became 
disaffected, and wished to withdraw from the 
Church. 

One incident, which occurred while I was at 
Ngu Kang, I will relate. Rev. Mr. Gibson, with 
a missionary of the American Board, Rev. Mr.' 
Doolittle, came to Ngu Kang. Early the next 
morning I went with them to a preaching service 
at Kwi Hung. After walking three or four li, * 
we stopped to rest under a wayside pavilion. 



One li is about one-third of a mile. 



96 HU YONG ML 

It happened that here a company of wood- 
cutters met us. In their midst was one man 
apparently about forty years of age. He had 
ectropium of both eyes; his face had not been 
washed in many days; his hair covered a circle 
of an inch or a little more in diameter, and his 
cue was about a span long; apparently the hair 
had not been combed in a long time, for it was 
matted as if by many layers of spiders' web; 
his limbs were ulcerated, and bound with leaves 
of the oil-tree ; his hands were the color of 
charcoal ; his garments were meager, ragged, 
foul. This man, with more boldness than the 
others, pushed forward to have a look at the 
missionaries. After long, close scrutiny, he sud- 
denly burst forth in a loud voice with the words : 
" They do say that foreigners are ugly-looking. 
Truly it is a fact." When I heard him say this 
I thought it very laughable ! I stepped forward 
in front of him, and said: "Friend, I observe 
that you are remarkably handsome. 1 ' He, hear- 
ing this, looked a little surprised, a little pleased, 
as if he half-accepted the compliment. I con- 
tinued : "Alas! you are lacking in one respect. 
Now will I instruct you a little. Return home, 
take a mirror and examine your reflection therein. 
Then quickly take a bowl of alkali, and a large 
quantity of water, bathe the head and face and 
whole body clean, comb the hair smoothly, and 



CIRCUIT PREACHING. 97 

you will be unequaled."* When he heard 
these words he was ashamed, and retired 

As we walked on, I mused. Many people of 
this world do not recognize their own heart's im- 
purity and wickedness, but only discuss the un- 
righteousness of others, echoing publicly the 
negatives of reputation. Is this woodcutter 
alone in so doing? Were men only willing to 
receive instruction, taking the Bible for their 
mirror, they would quickly recognize themselves, 
and verily repent of sin. To trust the precious 
blood of Jesus, beseech the regeneration of the 
Holy Spirit, be washed within and without clean 
and white as snow, — this is to be beautiful. Are 
there a few such ? Like this woodman, who, 
although he knew enough to be ashamed and 
withdraw, would not go and wash, are those of 
the world who hear good doctrine, and who are 
conscious of sorrow and fear, yet unwilling to 
reform. What is the difference between them? 
There are men who have received much un- 
doubted revelation, yet, as before, know not 
enough to blush. To such, this woodman is in- 
comparable. How many such vain men are 
there in the world! 



*The last expression is commonly used by the Chinese 
in a satirical sense. 



CHAPTER IX. 
RESULTS OF PREACHING. 

1WAS reappointed to Ching Sing Tong, at Ta 
Ting. At that time there were excellent op- 
portunities for preaching to those still outside the 
Church. The moment the preacher rose upon 
the platform, the audience quieted, as with rev- 
erence. During the sermon all fixed their eyes 
upon the minister. The Holy Spirit seemed to 
descend in the midst of the congregation and 
influence all hearts. Often, after preaching, the 
people remained fixed in their places, unwilling 
to retire. The time was like the Pentecost. 

After dark, and the lamps were lighted, we 
preached to such as came from the vicinity, and 
all returned to their homes rejoicing. Several 
new members were added to the Church. At 
the time of quarterly-meeting, the Church was 
filled. Prom long distances they came at an 
early hour. Male and female, old and young, 
greatly longed for the occasion. 

But, alas ! among all from so many places 
who heard the doctrine, who were greatly in- 
spired thereby? Was it not altogether because 
of the difficulty of keeping the Sabbath that 
93 



RESULTS OF PREACHING. 99 

men were enabled to resolve to go forward ? 
Alas ! so much seed sown and no harvest ! 
Why? Perhaps it was the shallow soil of stony 
hearts, perhaps the overgrowth of tares. Some 
said: "In Foochow sow the seed, in other dis- 
tricts reap the harvest." Does the saying ap- 
pear true? I do not know. 

While the mission of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church was in advance of the others, still 
that mission, the English Church, and the Amer- 
ican Board worked harmoniously together, mu- 
tually assisting each other in prosperity and in 
adversity. Every month they all met together 
to pray and confer about the work. All, with- 
out regard to denomination, were united in close 
friendship. 

The Methodist Mission was foremost in en- 
tering every district, renting chapels, and open- 
ing work. The other missions followed. After 
a time discussions arose concerning the proper 
name for God. There was division between 
Shang-ti and Shin. * On this account Wong Kin 
Taik left the Methodist Episcopal Church, and 
joined the Church of England. Under cover of 



* Shang-ti, meaning upper (or supreme) ruler, and Shin 
being a generic term for gods in general. Up to the time 
referred to the American missions in Foochow had used 
Shin, and the English mission Shang-ti. All the missions 
there now use the latter term. 



IOO HU YONG MI. 

the same excuse, a few others followed Kin 
Taik. Erelong all the three missions had grow- 
ing Churches in every district. 

Teng Yong is a village among the mountains. 
There a company of twenty or more men had 
suffered heavy losses in a lottery, till their only 
way seemed to be to commit suicide. Then 
they conferred with one another, saying: "Let 
us go and become Christians and escape death." 
Therefore they walked the hundred li, to Ching 
Sing Tong, and inquired of me, " How much 
money shall we receive a month for all becom- 
ing Christians? 1 ' I answered: "If a man in- 
structs you how to save your sinful souls, and 
how to become good men, what tuition ought 
you to pay a month to the teacher? 1 ' 

By this they understood that no money was 
to be gained by becoming Christians, and they 
were very sorrowful. They thought, now is 
there no way to walk. 

Afterward I formed a plan for them, and told 
them what they must do to escape falling into 
the snares of the devil. After a few days they re- 
turned and invited me to go to their village and 
preach. At the place there were several hun- 
dred men who declared that they were willing to 
worship God if they were paid cash for it. 
Among them, upward of ten resolved to become 
students of the doctrine. 



RESULTS OF PREACHING. IOI 

One man in the village, named Sie Seng 
Liing, hid himself by the side of the house, and 
listened to the doctrine, and believed thoroughly. 
He sent one to ask me to go to his house to pray 
and to give instruction in right doctrine. 

Afterward his whole family received bap- 
tism and joined the Church. Alas! after only 
a few years he passed away from this world. 
He left an aged mother, wife, and children. 
Their relatives and neighbors urged them to 
bury him according to idolatrous rites, but the 
wife was firm to the principles she had received, 
and was altogether unwilling to conform to their 
wishes. They then sent a messenger to me, 
asking me to perform the funeral services. 

It happened that I had just gone to preach 
at Yek Yong, where Li Yu Mi was stationed. I 
had had a troubled dream at night. Li Yu Mi 
said to me in the morning: "You usually look 
happy, why do you appear sad to-day?" Telling 
him that a dream troubled me, he asked me to 
relate it. I then told him: "It seemed that I 
had heard that the daughter of one named Lan 
Kwang had died. I was traveling near the 
place, and was accused by passers-by of having 
been concerned in her death. The villagers, 
without cause it seemed, struck me in the face 
and tore my clothing. Of course I regard it as 
a dream, not a reality. Still, I know that the 



102 HU YONG MI. 

dream is beyond my thoughts ; that is, can not 
have been suggested by any experiences of mine, 
therefore it perplexes me." 

That evening the messenger, Sie Sing Chioh, 
arrived to inform me of the death of Sie Seng 
Liing, he having first been to Foochow to seek 
me. He told me that the body "Ian kwang;" 
that is, "was not yet put in the coffin." In- 
quiring why, he replied that they waited my 
coming, not knowing what ceremony was nec- 
essary. The next morning I went, accompanied 
by Li Yu Mi. 

On the road I heard speeches corresponding 
to what I had dreamed. By the middle of the 
afternoon we reached the top of the Kieng Fieng 
(Beholding Heaven) Range, and then descended 
toward Teng Yong. From all quarters great 
numbers came running together at sight of us. 
Again it was like my dream. I questioned, 
"Why is this so?" but thought, "There is no 
need to question; wholly trust in the Lord, and 
go forward." 

Crowds rushed into the house as soon as I 
arrived. Among them a company came forward 
and asked me for money that they might provide 
a feast for the guests. 

I answered : " How should I have brought 
money? This long way from Yek Yong I have 
come out of compassion to dear friends, and ex- 



RESULTS OF PREACHING. 103 

pressly to see their faces." Then I retired into 
an inner room to rest a little. 

Soon a cry was raised from a hundred or 
more voices outside : " Just now the relatives are 
coming in great numbers. We have no money 
to provide entertainment suitable for guests. 
Had they not become Christians, of course the 
business would devolve upon their family. Now 
they are Christians, they follow your Christian 
customs, why does it not belong to you to pro- 
vide funds for the entertainment of guests?" 

Again, with loud, tumultuous voices, they 
called me to come forth and speak reasonably. 
At that moment my heart palpitated ; but when 
once outside the door, it grew strong. I felt not 
the least fear, but had great peace and comfort. 
At once I said: "When a mourning family in- 
vites a priest of one of the three sects, Tauist, 
Buddhist, or Confucianist, to perform funeral 
rites, do you ask him to bring money for you, 
or do you expect to pay him ? But I do not 
mind having traveled above one hundred li, 
climbing mountains and crossing ridges to come 
here. I wished only to comfort the family, the 
widow, and children. Certainly I did not come 
with the thought of feasting. You, friends, all 
know in what sorrow and poverty the family 
is. You should contribute something to relieve 
them. Why do you still talk of eating?" 



104 HU YONG MI. 

At these words the crowd was enraged. They 
doubled fists, and approached as if they would 
beat me, but dared not. They only pointed in- 
sultingly at me. I knew that the Lord was in- 
deed on my left and my right; therefore had I 
no fear, nor was I in the least injured. 

However, one, a robust fellow, turned about 
and cried, "You evil one, no money!" when 
he seized me by the collar, and tore my clothes 
apart. Immediately the crowd scattered. That 
night Li Yu Mi, Sie Sing Chioh, and I placed 
the body in the coffin. It was an unpleasant 
duty, but all the friends had fled. The next 
day the relatives came back, and were astonished 
to find what we had done, and that we remained 
alive and unhurt after touching a corpse with- 
out a priest's sanction. 

They then expressed willingness to have me 
conduct the burial service. After the funeral 
they spread a feast, and invited me to partake. 
I declined, and returned to Foochow 

Subsequently, the widow was greatly har- 
assed and persecuted by her relatives. They 
stole the products of her fields and her cattle. 
Their idea was to compel her to marry again. 
She was young, and by her remarriage the rela- 
tives would get a considerable sum of money. 

Thanks be to God for protecting the widow! 
Her purpose continued firm. She maintained 



RESULTS OF PREACHING. 1 05 

the doctrine of the Lord, and triumphed over 
all her difficulties and distresses. She was most 
filial to her mother-in-law until her death ; and she 
cared for her children until they reached adult 
age. She died in peace in 1884. Rev. S. L. 
Baldwin and Rev. C. R. Martin have both 
preached at that place (Teng Yong) in times 
past. 



CHAPTER X. 
PERSECUTIONS. 

FROM Ching Sing Tong, at Ta Ting, I was 
appointed to a new chapel on East Street, 
in the city. The missionary in charge was Rev. 
Mr. Martin, who lived on Black Rock Hill. He 
was very zealous and a faithful, loving pastor. 

A few months after my appointment the ded- 
ication of the chapel occurred. Members came 
from far and near. I had to provide for the 
hospitable entertainment of the guests. The 
chapel was close to the street; therefore great 
numbers of passers-by liked to approach and 
gaze within. Their voices were raised in such 
tumult that it was impossible to preach. Since 
the uproar could not be checked, it became nec- 
essary to close the chapel doors. The crowds 
were invited to withdraw; but they raised a 
louder clamor, using insulting language, and 
beating the doors. We therefore summoned the 
ward constable to restrain them. 

When service was over, and the doors opened, 
the crowd rushed in, performing grotesquely in 
various ways, to insult me. I was very weary; 
for with all the work of the two days past, I 



PERSECUTIONS. 107 

had eaten nothing. The mob still filled the 
chapel till the middle of the afternoon, refusing 
to leave. 

There was then no help for it, I thought, 
but to make appeal to the officers through Rev. 
Mr. Martin. This I did. The officers sent eight 
policemen who arrested ten or more, and took 
them to the yamum. They were judged as they 
deserved; but as it was their first offense they 
were merely condemned to bring to the chapel 
some firecrackers and large candles, and to make 
confession of their fault. The policeman brought 
the candles, the prisoners having escaped from 
them on the way. The candles were set up to 
illumine the chapel. Suddenly there was a 
pounding at the door, and several literati en- 
tered and destroyed the candles. It was already 
dark. Word came to me that a mob was de- 
stroying the chapel of the English Church Mis- 
sion on South Street. It was told me that 
thence the mob was to separate in three com- 
panies, one to go to Black Rock Hill and destroy 
Mr. Martin's house, one to go to the Hill of the 
Nim Genii and lay waste the premises of the 
American Board Mission, and another to come 
to the chapel at East Street. They did not 
carry out their intention at the American Board 
Mission, being resisted by the neighbors, who 
feared injury to their own property. 



108 HU YONG MI. 

The house of Rev. Mr. Martin was torn 
down. Rev. S. L. Baldwin and wife, who had 
been at the church, and were stopping at Mr. 
Martin's, having another meeting to attend, 
fortunately had left before the mob came. Mr. 
Martin and family escaped into the adjoining 
temple through a passage made for them in the 
wall by a Tauist priest. The mob at East 
Street began the attack by throwing broken 
tiles, crockery, and stones upon the roof. Then 
they struck the front door with a stone pillar, 
borne on men's shoulders and broke the door. 
With an ax they split open the back door. 
There were in the house with me my wife, two 
of our children, my sister, and her three chil- 
dren, eight in all. The children were awakened 
from sleep and frightened by the noise. When 
the doors were broken open, the mob rushed in 
and began destroying furniture. They broke 
into our private rooms. 

I then thought I must take away my family 
to a place of safety. I took my son John in 
my arms, my wife and sister each led one of the 
children, and I directed them all to follow me 
closely. In the dark court, where chairs and 
tables were upset and piled together in con- 
fusion, I stumbled and fell. Having the child 
in my arms I could not immediately recover 
myself. When I did, I called to the others, but 



PERSECUTIONS. 109 

no answer was returned. I alone was left, 
with John in my arms. I went on, and near 
South Street met my brother, Hieng Mi, just 
coining to tell me of the destruction of Rev. Mr. 
Martin's house. He took the child from me, 
and then, for the first time, I noticed that he 
was unconscious, and had sustained an injury to 
his head. At once I went back to seek the rest 
of my family. 

When about to enter the chapel I was rudely 
thrown back by the crowd, just making exit 
with great uproar. "My family are captive in 
their midst," I thought. In my distress I cried 
with a loud voice, and insanely tried to force, 
through the throng. I was carried on by it, and 
soon from one house on the street I heard weep- 
ing, and recognized the voices of my family. I 
made my way thither, and, entering, found my 
wife, sister, and the two children, whom they 
had led. The other two children were lost. 

I had heard in the street voices crying, 
"Children trodden to death, children trodden to 
death!" and now feared they might be ours. 
Essaying to comfort the women, but very sor- 
rowful myself, I hastened again into the street, 
and shouted the names of the children. One 
man told me that he had heard of two children 
being in a certain place, and indicated the way. 
I asked him to go with me, and we found the 



HO HU YONG MI. 

children. I rewarded the kind stranger with 
ten dollars. 

My brother had carried little John to my 
sister's house at the foot of Black Rock Hill, 
and I went there to see him at a little past mid- 
night. I found him still unconscious, in delir- 
ium crying, "Break, break!" 

Early the next morning I took a sedan to es- 
cort home my family. On East Street, near the 
chapel, my chair was surrounded by a riotous 
mob, who declared I should not escape them. 
I did, however, and got my family safe to Ching 
Sing Tong. Thanks be to God who enabled 
me to escape as from a pack of wolves! 

At that time I heard that the mob planned 
to attack and destroy all the chapels, and com- 
mit other acts of violence. Thanks to Rev. Mr. 
Gibson, who, for the Lord's sake, took much 
trouble in my behalf, fulfilling the words, " Mourn 
with those who mourn." Energetically he pros- 
ecuted righteous measures with wisdom given 
of God. 

The English and American consuls together 
presented to the governor accounts of the riot, 
and asked that the offenders might be dealt with 
according to law. The governor, whose sur- 
name was Sii, was an excellent man, possessing 
knowledge and virtue. He acknowledged that 
the people were very rebellious ; and ordered 



PERSECUTIONS. 1 1 I 

the arrest of ten or more. Then the whole city 
was stirred. The people were in a panic. Shops 
were all closed. The streets were thronged with 
vagabonds. If a shop-door opened, stones were 
flung within. Great numbers, not of the rabble 
only, but respectable shopmen too, flocked to 
the prefect's, and all day beat the drum at the 
gate, demanding the release of the prisoners. 
They were consequently all released. No pun- 
ishment had been inflicted upon them ; but their 
arrest had demonstrated to the people that the 
officers were just, and did not wish evil to for- 
eigners, contrary to the ignorant supposition 
before entertained. 

From this time the people were more civil 
and respectful to foreigners. No such general 
disturbance was ever again excited in the 
city of Foochow, hostile to the promulgation 
of the gospel. Through these troublous times 
my soul experienced comfort and strength from 
the Lord. 

Through the conduct of a certain class of my 
associates, the devil devised more trouble for 
me, for which my wisdom was insufficient. 
Therefore, after the affair was past, its recollec- 
tion often brought repentance, as billows will 
rise on a calm sea. 

Subsequently, certain ones of the gentility 
came privately to comfort me, and offered to 



112 HI" YONG MI. ' 

compensate me for losses sustained by the mob. 
I resolutely declined their offers of money. 
These people were already acquainted with my 
family and its history, and knew what kind of 
doctrine we taught. How had it come to pass 
that they were thus informed? 

Strange ! Supreme Omniscience had before- 
hand prepared for me many witnessses against 
this time, of which I then became aware. One 
of our former Church members, surnamed Chai, 
was a descendant of a Kwok sii.* He had fre- 
quently brought his literary friends to the chapel 
to converse with me. They had thus clearly 
learned how correct our service in the worship 
of God. They, too, had often felt themselves 
strongly influenced to forsake their own gods 
and to become Christians. 

The member Chai had been expelled from 
the Church for keeping more than one wife. 
Sorrowfully we exhorted him, but the matter 
involved too great difficulty for him, and he asked 
that his name be removed from the Church 
record. He had learned that the Church was 
pure, and such testimony he bore of it to 
his literary friends, who, during the time of up- 
roar, went to him to make inquiries about the 



s Kwok sii. Imperial scholar, is one who stands first in 
the final and highest examinations at Peking. Very great 
honor attaches to the individual so fortunate. 



PERSECUTIONS. 113 

Christians. His testimony was firmly credited, 
which to themselves brought self-reproach. 

Further, during the many years at Ching Sing 
Tong, I had known many people, and been 
known of more, who became witnesses for me. 
Mouths afterward, as I sat quiet at home, neigh- 
bors led men into my presence to confess their 
wrong. Wonderful, beyond man's thought, the 
Lord's wisdom and power! 

After the riot the officials appropriated twelve 
hundred dollars for remuneration. This money 
Rev. Mr. Martin gave into my charge to dis- 
tribute according to each man's report of his 
losses. By this means my knowledge of the 
affair increased very much. The silver was as a 
microscope upon the circumstances of the case, 
and the dispositions of men. Ah ! I was sad. 
My heart earnestly wished to sink the money 
into deep waters or give it wings to fly away. 

My own share I requested the mission to re- 
tain, but Mr. Martin said: ''This is your own; 
we will not take it." I was willing to lose 
everything, glad to suffer ill for Jesus' sake, 
let but the peace of Christ remain with me. I 
did not wish money to screen me from fellow- 
ship in Christ's sufferings, to confuse my love 
for Christ. My experiences at this time led me 
to analyze character, and I found the principles 
of men to be as salt that had lost its savor. 



114 HU YONG MI. 

I knew that wealth devoured peace of mind 
like a serpent. Therefore I besought the L,ord: 
" What thou grantest let it not be wealth !" The 
mission planned to build a new chapel. The 
neighbors gave no trouble about the building, 
although the new structure was far better and 
higher than the old. 

Mr. Martin, during the hot weather, came 
into the city to superintend the work. He took 
sick, and within twenty-four hours he and his 
son died. Although the Heavenly Father gave 
him everlasting rest, that could not prevent us 
from mourning unspeakably. 

Suddenly I was taken ill, and was about to 
die. Thanks to Dr. Maclay for calling Dr. 
Stuart to see me. Rev. S. L. Baldwin and the 
Misses Woolston took much care of me. I was 
debtor for much love expended. 

My health restored, I went to Ning Taik, 
Lo-ngwong, and Ling Kong preaching. At 
Lo-ngwong, God gave me the respect of the vil- 
lagers. 

One neighbor woman was said to be possessed 
of the fox demon for a long time. She wished 
to be free but dared not release herself. She 
came and invited my wife to go and pray for 
her, that she might cast away her idols. My 
wife went, and the woman experienced peace. 
The daughter of one of the neighbors was taken 



PERSECUTIONS. 115 

suddenly ill. She said: "The demon tells me, 
'I have been cast out by the Christians, and have 
no place to dwell. I happen to meet you ; 
therefore I now come to you.' "* 

Previous to this time, when I was at Kang 
Chia with Cheng Mi, I met a woman upwards 
of ten years possessed of a demon, also said to 
be the fox demon. Her husband told me that 
she was commonly very well; but when the 
demon came, she was seized with great fear and 
became insensible. Sometimes she would lie 
ten days or more without eating. She seemed 
to have no intelligence concerning what was 
spoken to her. When words were uttered by 
her, they were words of the demon's, not her 
own ; they were of secret, abstruse meaning, or 
prophetic. When she ate, she ate voraciously. 
Occasionally she committed self-injuries and 
mutilations. One day her husband invited a 
few of us to go to his house to pray. We first 
talked to him of the doctrine of faith, and told 
him that if he had faith, it would be enough for 
us to pray where we were. The demon would 



*The apparent possession by evil spirits, called by the 
people the " fox demon," in effect like the possessions 
spoken of in the Bible, was so marked in portions of the 
Chinese work that many felt that they could only be ex- 
plained as in the Scripture. In many cases earnest prayer 
resulted in prompt and permauent relief. 



Il6 HU YOXG MI. 

at once flee from his house. He replied, "I be- 
lieve." We prayed for him. When he returned 
home he found his wife already risen from her 
bed, well. 

At Tiong Loh I heard that Dr. Gibson and 
family were ab>out to return to the United States. 
Our whole household returned to Foochow to 
bid him farewell. How could I know that from 
that time to the present I should not -again see 
his face? Truly this caused our hearts perpet- 
ually to mourn. 

On the same Sabbath there was quarterly- 
meeting at the A-to chapel. My heart was sor- 
rowful. The love and glory of Christ did not 
spontaneously shine therein. I felt covered with 
uncleanness. I was glad to listen to the sermon; 
but when the communion service began, I felt 
that I ought to run away, that I dared not par- 
take of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. 
Yet if I went away I knew not what men would 
conjecture, and if I might not dishonor Christ. 
I was greatly troubled. It seemed equally dif- 
ficult to go forward or to retire. What should 
I do? 

Then Dr. Maclay began reading the service. 
My heart palpitated, and only by holding myself 
by force I sat still. Suddenly I heard read the 
words, " If any man sin, he has an advocate 
with the Father 1 ' — words most exceeding sweet. 



PERSECUTIONS. 117 

In my soul the language was as if addressed to 
me, a sinner, alone : " See the print of the nails ; 
see the pierced side, the flowing blood. This 
for thee. Go forward! Why are you sad? 
Go forward ! Come to the Father ! I will be 
your Mediator." 

The name Jesus was melody. My soul leaped 
to enter his precious side and be cleansed. 
"There is a fountain filled with blood." Within 
the precious side I experienced peace and joy. 
This joy and peace seemed all to belong to my- 
self alone. I felt the print of the nails, the 
fountain in the side; and how inestimably 
precious it was I could perceive. I also knew 
that nothing under heaven could remedy my 
heart's illness and sorrow, only Jesus, from 
whose precious side flowed water and blood. 
He had healed me perfectly, and comforted me. 

That day my soul first perceived the deep 
meaning in the sacrament. Naturally in my 
heart arose deeper friendship with the Lord 
Jesus. Blessedness! Where was its fountain- 
head? I had found it. It was in my Lord's 
precious side. Great efficacy there ! My one 
Savior! Through hearing of the ears my soul 
had seen, had come close to Jesus, was con- 
scious of being washed clean, and had received 
great peace. True is this word: "All sinners 
under heaven, you need have no sorrow. Only 



Il8 HU YONG ML 

come and trust Jesus, you all will be perfectly 
well." 

When I went again to Tiong Lob, I learned 
that the three missions had distributed among 
them the mission stations. The English Church 
Mission had taken Lieng Kong and Lo-ngwong; 
the Methodist Episcopal Mission had Ming 
Chiang and Hok Chiang; the American Board 
Mission had Tiong Loh and Ing Hok. In Foo- 
chow, Ku-cheng, and Ping Nang, the work was 
to be general. 

Up to this time the Methodist Episcopal 
Mission had been first in every district that the 
missionaries visited. 

I returned home, and located again at Ching 
Sing Tong. There the opportunity to preach 
was good, but results were small. The converts 
were mainly the very poor or the solitary. For 
the Lord's sake we cared for these. 

In the sixth month (July, 1864) my eldest 
daughter Hiong Kwang — about three years old — 
took suddenly ill, and and died within twenty- 
four hours. This was a great sorrow. I could not 
understand why it should be. On the eighth 
day of the twelfth month, in the fourth year of 
TungTe (January, 1865), another daughter, King 
Eng, was born. We received comfort. People 
said, "This one will stay with you long." The 
sound of the name is the same as that of 



PERSECUTIONS. 119 

words meaning long-continuing. The signifi- 
cation of the name is Precious Peace. 

When King Eng was about two years old she 
was very ill a long time. One day I asked Rev. 
S. E. Baldwin to invite Dr. Stewart to call and 
see her. Dr. Stewart promised on the next day, 
at twelve noon, to be at his hospital to see 
patients. Therefore my wife and I, with our 
two children, went in chairs to see him. Arrived 
at the hospital, we were told that Dr. Stewart 
had gone to Pagoda Anchorage, twelve miles 
distant. We waited until nearly dark, but he 
did not return. I perceived that the child was 
unconscious, not recognizing anybody all day. 
All said that she was dying. My whole heart 
was very sorrowful. No help! 

Quickly we hastened to Ching Sing Tong, 
lest she should die on the street. I first ran 
up-stairs and agonized in prayer. I received 
answer from the Heavenly Father. "Go down 
and see, the child lives!" I hastily lighted a 
candle, and ran down stairs. The mother was 
holding the child close in her arms and weep- 
ing. She said to me, ''She is dead." 

I looked at the child's face and called "King 
Eng." She opened her eyes and said, "E-wa" 
(mamma). We quickly gave her drink and ob- 
served a little perspiration. 

From that moment she seemed well. She 



120 HU YONG MI. 

smiled, and spoke, and was well. This mani- 
fested the hand of God alone. Not by medicine 
was she cured. Praise to the Heavenly Father 
without end ! 

My younger brother, Hieng Mi, having at- 
tended examination on Sunday, his license to 
preach was withdrawn from him by the Quar- 
terly Conference. He had formerly been very 
happy. Seeing him daily spending his time 
vainly, I feared that he would fall into tempta- 
tion. I assisted him, and advised him to open 
a rice-shop, and commissioned him to have care 
of our mother, younger brother, and sister. 

My brother Sing Mi was then in the United 
States. I was liable to be removed to a distant 
station, when it would be a comfort to know 
that those at home were provided for. I could 
not know that my brother would cultivate a 
taste for gambling. One day his gun exploded 
and destroyed two fingers. He was dangerously 
ill, near to death. Many thanks were due to 
Dr. S. L. Baldwin, who took great care of him, 
and invited Dr. Stewart to attend him. This 
accident cost me considerable money. The 
rice-shop failed to repay the capital expended. 
My brother asked me again to aid him. He 
wished to join a circle of twenty, each of whom 
was to contribute a sum for the use of one tem- 
porarily — all to have the benefit of it, each in 



PERSECUTlONvS. 121 

turn. We formed the circle of twenty, several 
preachers joining it. 

After about a year I was appointed to Ming 
Chiang. With the money that had been given 
me after the riot, I had bought a house, and this I 
had long desired to sell that I might bestow the 
proceeds in charity. The Church was not will- 
ing to receive the property. No opportunity 
had offered for sale. 

As I was leaving for Ming Chiang I placed 
the matter in the hands of my brother. But 
the Lord was unwilling to receive the money. 
After a few years I understood why the Lord's 
treasury could not receive it, nor the treasury of 
his Church. Therefore the money went to my 
relatives. They understood it was for the poor. 
They reckoned themselves poor, and appropri- 
ated it. They afterward were very poor for 
many years, and had great deprivations. Many 
demands were laid upon me — more, sometimes, 
than I felt I could endure. Even dear friends 
became enemies. I felt that it was better to die 
than to live. But Jehovah remained, my Heav- 
enly Father, God, and Savior; him alone had I 
to love, to trust. I took the parables to heart. 
They comforted me as a sympathetic friend. 

Although all my goods had been dispersed 
afterward, in an unexpected moment, from God's 
hand, I received a gift of money. Great peace ; 
9 



122 HU YONG MI. 

unceasing thanks! All things in turn come, 
and all are naturally profitable to me. 

One year, Bishop Thomson, at Ching Sing 
Tong, at the end ot a discourse said: "Use that 
which will help you to walk heaven's way the 
fastest; that is, tears and kneelings." These 
words affected me greatly, and remained a con- 
stant reminder. 

When the Conference appointed me to Ming 
Chiang and Lik Tu, my heart had additional grief. 
I feared that the missionaries had rejected me. 
I had learned that on this district were many 
literary men, hard-hearted, who constantly in- 
sulted the preachers and annoyed the Churches, 
stealing books and burning them. Therefore no 
' preacher wished to go there. Now, I thought, I 
am sent here because the missionaries feel it 
inconvenient to expel me and wish me to re- 
sign. These doubts arose on account of my 
sorrowful frame of mind, fighting with sin. 
However, I thought, all things are in God's 
hand to rule and determine. Dare to doubt? 
No. I must put away every imagination of 
my own. Preachers, whether in sorrow or joy, 
must finish their course. Therefore I, in de- 
pressing circumstances, must trust the Lord the 
more, and hope for the manifestation of his 
power. 

I went to Lik Tu and rented a house. Hav- 



PERSECUTIONS. 123 

ing arranged to have it immediately repaired, I 
returned to Foochow. It was about the begin- 
ning of the eleventh month. My wife's state of 
health compelled me to delay moving. Another 
preacher was appointed to Ching Sing Tong, 
which would compel us to move at once. It 
was impossible, so I remained. On the twenty- 
second day of the eleventh month, in the sixth 
year of Tung Te (December, 1866), a daughter 
was born to us — Ngiik Eng. 



CHAPTER XL 

AT MING CHIANG. 

ON the 23d day of the twelfth month (January, 
1866), I took boat and moved my family to 
Ming Chiang.* On the evening of the 26th we 
arrived at Lik Tu. On the 27th, about dark, 
our furniture came. Thereby the 1st of the first 
month was entirely forgotten.! Although no 
friends were with us keeping the New Year 
festival, God was with us, helping us to begin 
his work. Every day and night crowds of men 
and women, old and young, came to inspect the 
house, to see a Foochow man, to hear the speech 
of a Foochow man, and to ask questions about 
the new doctrine. Thus I obtained favorable 
opportunity to preach to them the gospel. My 
wife talked to the women. We took one young 
member, Wong Kin Mi, to assist us. We dis- 
covered that he had a zealous heart, and wis- 
dom, too. He studied diligently, and aided in 



*The circuit embraced Ming Chiang, Kucheng, Hung- 
mwi, Iu-ka, Tai-cheng, Ing Ang, Sa Kaing, Song Chiong, 
Yong Ping, Chioug Hu Pwang, and Hulu Sang. 

t No one moves in China in the twelfth month, if it 
can be avoided. If one does, he is supposed to be running 
away from creditors. 
124 



AT MING CHIANG. 125 

the pastoral work, and entertained visitors very 
acceptably. Consequently the doctrine spread 
everywhere. From near and far came many to 
the chapel, who also invited me to go to their 
villages and preach. Every day people were 
coming and going constantly. At night all had 
leisure, and were glad to listen to preaching. 
Some there were who, learning that they would 
not be paid money for becoming Christians, be- 
came angry and gave us trouble secretly. Some 
wished to come and learn the doctrine, but were 
afraid. 

Two men of the vicinity, surnamed respect- 
ively Wong and Lan, had, in a former year, 
had disagreements, quarreling and fighting, 
which resulted finally in total separation. They 
would have nothing in common. The families 
would not intermarry. The chapel which we 
had rented was in the Lan neighborhood, there- 
fore the Wongs disliked to come to it. I held 
private conversations with the two parties sepa- 
rately, endeavoring to annul their suspicions 
and prejudices, and through the aid of the Holy 
Spirit they were gradually reconciled. 

Soon the former friendly relations were 
restored, and intermarriage took place as be- 
fore. Thanks to God for help ! His power was 
manifested, inasmuch as harmony was so soon 
restored. 



126 ni' YONG MI. 

That class of persons who had supposed they 
would be paid money for becoming Christians 
proved very troublesome. At night they came 
about the premises to throw stones, slam doors, 
steal, and frighten the children. By day they 
came about to frighten the children or teach 
them bad language. Their slanders and insults 
were innumerable. When I sought to join 
issue with them, it but increased disturbance, 
and my patience made them bold. These bad 
men sought to bring ignominy upon me by 
scattering stained printed paper about my place, 
and reporting everywhere that I had no respect 
for printed paper and treated it as refuse.* 

They gave information of it to the Society for 
the Preservation of Lettered Paper (Che Chai 
Hwoi). This made literary men very angry. 
They led to my place a company of very proud 
men, who intended to drive me from the village. 
As they approached, I observed that their heads 
looked up to the heavens, and they swayed 
themselves from side to side as they walked. I 
courtesied to them, but they took no notice of 
me. I invited them to be seated, and they threw 
themselves into chairs, staring and gesticulating 
in a very disrespectful manner. 



All printed paper is held in great esteem in China; 
must not be used for wrapping-paper, or trampled under 
foot; this because of their regard for books and learning. 



AT MING CHIANG. 127 

Seeing them thus conduct themselves with- 
out regard to ceremony, I was the more careful 
to observe the rules of etiquette. With a coun. 
tenance expressive of humility, my dress ar- 
ranged decorously, I sat upon the edge of a 
chair and conversed with them. 

I ordered tea, and when it was brought I 
rose and offered it with both hands in the po- 
litest manner. They then rose as if spontane- 
ously and made obeisance. Then was opened 
an opportunity to preach doctrine to them. 
They listened with pleasure, and on leaving 
they politely and humbly expressed thanks. 
By my conduct they understood that I, too, was 
a literary man, and would not, therefore, com- 
mit the offenses which had been charged; but 
that I had been slandered by enemies. From 
this time forth I was on friendly terms with a 
large number of literary men, deriving much 
pleasure from their association. Thanks to the 
Heavenly Father for bringing joy out of sorrow, 
for causing this class of men to be respectful! 
Thus was destroyed the head of the serpent, 
and much trouble was avoided. 

In all things it is best to follow^God's guid- 
ance. It is not profitable to heed what one's 
self sees, hears, or imagines. I now repented 
of my suspicions concerning„my appointment, 
as a sin. 



128 HU YONG MI. 

There were twenty-four villages in the Ming 
Chiang District. I went from one to another, 
by invitation, to preach. The people were 
mostly glad to hear preaching, and would say, 
"This is truly in accordance with correct doc- 
trine." Sometimes I fixed a day to go to a 
certain village. Arrived, I would find an au- 
dience waiting. I went regularly to the third, 
fifth, eleventh, and twelfth villages, and had 
from a few tens to two hundred in attendance. 
Quiet was observed during preaching, and all 
knelt for prayer. I was welcomed in the homes, 
and had good opportunity to teach. A few tens 
were added to the Church. A greater intelli- 
gence prevailed concerning the doctrines of the 
gospel. Its reputation became clear. Alas! at 
this time the eyes of the missionaries were fixed 
upon the South. It was difficult to get appro- 
priations lor the Ming Chiang District. I be- 
sought the Mission, yearly, for help, Dr. S. L. 
Baldwin assisting me; but little could be ob- 
tained. My boy, Chaih Hang, between eight 
and nine years of age, was strangely moved by 
the Spirit of the Lord to go to private houses 
and preach. Sometimes he went by invitation. 
I think that if more preachers had been appointed 
at this time to the various villages the harvest 
would have been more abundant. Only one 
man filling so large a circuit — preaching as he 



AT MING CHIANG. 129 

traveled — the seed was as sown by the wayside 
to be picked up by the birds. In different vil- 
lages inquiries were often made about Rev. N. 
Sites; for he was very well known among them, 
having often eaten with them, or spent a night. 

Wong Kin Mi's mother had died. His heart 
was very sorrowful, and he wished to go with 
me to Sioug Hu, on my circuit. It rained con- 
stantly while we traveled. The hills and ridges 
were slippery and difficult to cross. We held 
each other up, and sometimes all slipped to- 
gether. The inns were unbearable. Through 
many distresses we arrived at Yu Ka. Here we 
stopped two weeks. 

The third day after leaving Yu Ka, when we 
were six or se'ven miles from Sa Kaing, a thunder- 
storm burst upon us, with heavy rain. We were 
completety drenched. With the burden-bearers 
we were a party of five. It was dark when we 
arrived at Teng Tau, six miles from Sa Kaing. 
There it happened to be fair weather; but there 
was no sleeping room at the inns. I looked 
upon the deep freshet in the hills, and the roads 
overflowed, and reflected that it was dark. I 
learned that on the hillside, only a mile or two 
distant, was a tea-shed, and we hastened to hire 
rooms there. How could we know of the mul- 
titude already there? Having arrived, we 
heard a great noise inside, and saw that the 



130 HI' YONG MI. 

place was crowded; not even standing room 
was afforded, and I ventured not to set foot 
within. The ground, wet with the heavy rain 
and trodden by so many feet, was like mire. 
Our feet once set in it, could with difficulty be 
withdrawn. 

There seemed no help, we must push our 
way into a small room. We sat upon the 
edge of a bed. We were very hungry and 
thirsty. Seeing a child carrying a pail of con- 
gee, ' :; I went forward and asked for a drink. 
He refused violently. I said, "Little brother, 
let me have one sup." The men all laughed 
at me as though I were disgraced. I considered, 
"The child does not know that I am a dis- 
ciple of Christ." 

Not long after, the master of the place came 
and said: "You must quickly go away; there is 
no place even for those who belong here. How 
can I receive a guest?" I replied: "It is dark. 
Where can I go? There is no place to go. 
Only lend us a bench, and let us sit till day- 
light." He answered, "There is no bench." 
I said, "Where is your sleeping-place?" He 
replied, "Where you are sitting." I responded, 
" Let us have the edge of a bed where we can 
sit till daylight." He withdrew without reply. 



Rice-water. 



AT MING CHIANG. 131 

Another man from A-Hu soon came up, say- 
ing, " I know you are a literary man." He 
pointed out to me where he was to sleep. It 
was on some boards, thrown from beam to beam, 
under the rafters, among the dirt and bird-nests. 
This he yielded to me. I, seeing four or five 
boards, thought now we have a place for 
ourselves, and, greatly rejoicing, returned him 
thanks. 

The men lying down sighed and groaned, 
without ceasing, calling, "No-na, No-na?" * 
Fatigued and hungry, they were truly miserable. 
Kiu Mi said, " Hereafter, should one offer 
me $3,000 to come this way, I surely will not 
come." 

Suddenly, below, we heard the voice of 
singing. I went down and saw upwards of 
twenty workmen, who had spread bamboo mats 
on the miry earth, upon which to sleep. There 
they were, clapping hands and singing. I then 
urged my comrades to come down and see these 
men. On coming, they asked, " What is there 
beautiful to see here?" I replied: " They, de- 
voted to money-making, repose here peacefully, 
and are happy, singing songs. We, engaged in 
the Lord's work, are temporarily lodged under 
the tiles, a heaven compared to their place. 



* "Mother, mother !" A call to the " Mother Goddess 
for help. 



132 HU YONG ML 

Why should not we more joyfully sing hymns 
of praise and thanks to God for his illimitable 
favors?" 

At another time we departed from Ming Chi- 
ang for Chiong Hu Pwang. A journey of fifty 
miles over a hilly road brought us to Wang 
Kan, where we stopped a night, expecting the 
next morning to take one of the wood-boats 
which left very early for Chiong Hu Pwang. 
To take this boat it was necessary to cross the 
river by ferry. In the morning we found the 
ferryman still asleep, and before we could 
awaken him our boat was gone. The road 
along the riverside was stony and clayey, and 
was rendered more difficult for travel by the 
recent rain. A tow-path was the only road. 
We walked to Sang Tu Kan, about twenty 
miles, and there crossed by ferry six miles from 
Chiong Hu Pwang. By this time the sun had 
set, therefore we walked hastily lest darkness 
should overtake us. When still half that dis- 
tance from the city, I felt my strength exhausted. 
My feet literally could not be moved forward. I 
seemed to be dying. It happened that a rock 
like a pillow lay by the roadside. I lay down 
and put my head on the stone to sleep. I asked 
the Heavenly Father: "Is it now that I shall 
ascend to thee?" 

I received no communication ; but the burden- 



AT MING CHIANG. 133 

bearer, a young man, Wong Main Tang, now a 
Church member, said: "You are hungry; there 
is no village here, no place to buy." He was a 
stranger, not acquainted with the way, and was 
unwilling to leave me, seeing me in what ap- 
peared a dangerous condition, fearing I would 
die. It was the eleventh month and cold. He 
was greatly troubled, and after a little he said, 
" Just back of us comes a man running; he may 
be a cake-peddler." After a little, again he said, 
" No, he is empty-handed." This man ran into 
our presence. When he stopped and looked at 
me, he recognized me, and frightened, cried out: 
"Ai Ah, is this indeed you, teacher? Why, 
when the sky is so dark, are you lying here?" 
I recognized the voice as that of a former 
chair-coolie of mine. He was an Ing Chung 
man, named L,ik Lik. I said to him, "The 
trouble is, my strength is exhausted for lack 
of food." He immediately leaped up, and 
exclaimed with a loud voice, "Your God is of 
great might!" He then said to me: "This 
morning I carried a chair to a village ten miles 
distant, to Tieng Kan's house, where I had 
dinner. I felt my eyelids trouble me; on that 
account I was not at peace, but greatly 
troubled." * 



'"'According to a native superstition, spasmodic twitch- 
ing of the upper eyelids is significant of pecuniary loss. 



134 HU YONG MI. 

My friend continued: "I determined to re- 
turn quickly to our stand, at the Chiong Hu 
Pwang temple, and see how things were. My 
companion remonstrated with me, saying: 'You 
and I have all our possessions with us; to-night 
we shall have good rice and a good bed at the 
host's house. Why, about dark, do you wish to 
return to the temple fasting? 1 I answered: 'I 
have thought about it all, and know not why; 
my heart compels me to go a little while.' I 
ran the whole of the way; and the farther I ran 
the more I wondered, constantly asking myself 
why I was thus running. Having arrived, and 
seeing you, teacher, lying on the ground, I knew 
that it was truly on account of you that I came." 

Having finished, he again exclaimed, loudly, 
*' Truly, your God is mighty !" 

I told him to go quickly and call chair-coolies 
to come. He answered : " In the temple, to-day, 
there was not one man. I will now go and see ; 
if there are none, I will buy cakes and return." 

He returned with the cakes, after eating 
which I was refreshed ; and taking a stem of 
sugar-cane for a torch, the chair-coolie half lead- 
ing, half carrying me, we arrived, after ten 
o'clock, at the chapel in Chiong Hu Pwang. 

The friends had been anxious and troubled, 
fully expecting my arrival, for I had written 
them that I would be in Chiong Hu Pwang on 



AT MING CHIANG. 135 

such a day. They were greatly rejoiced at see- 
ing me, and on my behalf returned thanks to God, 
who had this night drawn me out of danger. I 
thought: "I must on that stone pillow cut char- 
acters saying, 'This is Bethel,' because in the 
midst of wilderness, forest, darkness, cold, hun- 
ger, prospect of death, with hope lost, God my 
Savior supernaturally manifested himself. With 
foreknowledge of my danger he had saved me. 
Remember, remember, give thanks, give thanks 
without ceasing!" 

I offered the chair-coolie a little money, but 
he was unwilling to accept it. I had been 
troubled on account of not having given him a 
present or returned thanks, but it had been in- 
convenient to get to him. After one year, Lik 
Lik sent a message, saying he had obtained a 
good situation and had received several hundred 
dollars. For this I again returned thanks to 
God, who had paid him wages in abundance. 
This awakened in me a sense of the ever-in- 
creasing series of secret favors which God was 
bestowing upon me, demanding gratitude be- 
yond the measure of my understanding or im- 
agination. In this were the words of Scripture 
fulfilled: "And whosoever shall give to drink 
unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water 
only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto 
you, he shall in no wise lose his reward." 



CHAPTER XII. 

STRUGGLES. 

TAKING a retrospect of the past several 
years, each one had brought many wonder- 
ful experiences; each contest was something 
new, presenting some new aspect of the fight. 
Although my spirit was kept in peace, and in 
my various pastoral duties the gladness and 
power of the Holy Spirit were mine, yet I felt 
not the fullness of joy of my first Christian ex- 
perience. On this account I sorrowed and was 
troubled, longing for my Savior as an infant for 
its mother, or as a bride for her beloved but 
absent husband. Though I sought happiness 
in other things, separated from my Savior I 
found no comfort. 

I longed for an instrument upon which to 
praise the Lord. Through organ music it seemed 
my soul could hold communion with the Savior 
and express my sense of his compassion. Had 
the instrument been at hand I could not have 
played it; but such was the hunger and thirst 
of my soul. 

One day 1 was alone in my study. It was 
the middle of the afternoon. Suddenly I saw in 
136 



STRUGGLES. 137 

the room a light, like a flash from a heavy cloud, 
or heat lightning. It was very beautiful. My 
heart experienced a spring of joy; I was filled 
with pleasant thoughts ; iny spirit seemed led by 
the light into unknown regions. Soon I began 
to perceive myself in the midst of dangers, 
and fear arose. It was as though I was seized 
by Satan, and was powerless to escape. In my 
heart arose many terrible imaginations. My 
conscience cried out, "Weep for this terrible 
distress." The struggle was as between life and 
death. All the blessings in God, the full riches 
in Christ Jesus, Satan was taking away. 

I now discerned that within this phenom- 
enon of light was a limitless mechanism of 
torture. My soul was caught by it, like a bird 
in a net. It sees outside the happy heaven 
and all the pleasant prospect, and strikes its 
head against the net till the feathers and down 
are worn off, and blood flows, but it can not 
escape. 

My agony was like that of a fish alive upon 
the spit, or as if the poisonous fangs of a great 
serpent, just aroused, were thrust into my flesh. 
My pain and sorrow increased. 

My ears were also in some way stopped by 
Satan. I wished to go and hear the gospel, 
but it was as though I could hear nothing. 
Moreover, besides Satan, a multitude of noisy 



I 38 HU YONG MI. 

devils roused up to annoy me. It was all in 
vain to contend against their insults. With 
words of ridicule they addressed me: "Great is 
your courage, repel us! You have courage in 
every place to slander and blaspheme us, because 
we have not contended against you. You have 
sought to thwart us. Now we only stretch out 
one finger, and you find it intolerable. If we 
exert our strength, what will you do?" 

I, hearing these words, trembled; my heart 
palpitated to faintness, consciousness fled ; I was 
as if about to die. I now discovered that I had 
an exceeding fear of devils. I had always 
boldly fought against them, regarding them 
but as idols, powerless. However, now was 
I by Satan badly beaten; my whole body was 
bruised ; not one spot the size of a needle's 
point unharmed. 

I hated myself, that in the careless turn of 
one thought I had brought myself to this ex- 
treme. Repentance was too late. 

My sin was like a high mountain or surging 
billows. God's voice of compassion had changed 
to one of severity. I dared not approach him ; 
I longed to flee away and hide, but knew there 
was no place to hide. 

I turned to the Bible, hoping to find, in the 
chapters and texts formerly giving comfort, 
consolation for this time, but all was changed. 



STRUGGLES. 139 

They had become condemnatory, increasing my 
distress. Therefore, while I wished to read the 
Scriptures, I dared not. I was obliged quickly 
to close the Bible. 

These conflicts lasted for several months. I 
thought that, had I never heard nor understood 
the doctrine, I would now have had peace of 
heart; but now I knew that heaven and earth 
might pass away, but one jot or one tittle of the 
Scriptures would not pass away. 

Now I could realize what was the judgment 
of wicked men. My sorrow and fear were like 
what the Scriptures say the word of God is, 
"a two-edged sword, piercing even to the joints 
and marrow." For my soul, the last day had 
already come. Great sadness, great sadness ! 

I reflected upon the incomparably glorious 
majesty of God; his ineffable purity, exceed- 
ing great compassion. Could I willfully rebel 
against him? If I could, what other wicked- 
ness might I not do? 

It seemed as if I passed through all the ex- 
periences of Adam, Saul, David, Samson, Job, 
and all the ancients. Occasionally I perceived 
the meaning of these experiences. It would be 
a task too difficult to detail all. 

But I again crucified the Son of God upon 
the cross, rejected the Holy Spirit, causing him 
to grieve; sinned against the light; broke the 



HO HU YONG MI. 

commandments; and my whole soul recognized 
the greatness of its sin, for which, neither in 
this world nor in the future, was there forgive- 
ness. Hope lost, grief was terrible. 

Suddenly, within a few days, my hair and 
beard turned gray, my eyes became dim, my 
heart was withered, my body weakened; daily, 
nightly, I sighed and wept without ceasing. 
Rest came not. One day was like a year. 

As a branch separated from the vine is dead, 
so I, separated from Christ, was without life. I 
clearly understood what the Bible says — "This 
is eternal life, to know God, and Jesus Christ 
whom he hath sent." Aside from this, what of 
life is there in the soul ? 

My heart ardently desired my God and Savior 
to come again to resuscitate me, "as a hart 
panteth after the water brooks. 1 ' 

One day I saw a sentence in the Church 
Discipline to the effect that men who after con- 
version fall into sin, if they have not sinned 
against the Holy Spirit, may receive forgive- 
ness. My heart was encouraged. I realized 
that my repentance was evidence that the Holy 
Spirit was knocking at the door of my heart to 
offer grace and assistance. I began to take 
comfort. I had found the path of approach to 
God; I pressed forward and wrestled in prayer. 
As unto Moses in the cleft of the rock, Jehovah 



STRUGGLES. 141 

revealed himself, "the Lord God merciful and 
gracious, long suffering and abundant in good- 
ness and truth; keeping mercy for thousands; 
forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin." 

Several times I perceived God's glory was 
near me, but veiled. Ofttimes I could almost 
see the glory, but a thin veil obstructed. To 
have revealed unto me the glory of God, was my 
one desire. For this alone I cried and prayed. 
The Lord made no sign. Devils, continually 
mocking me, said: "Your sin is very great. 
God has cast you away. You still unceasingly 
pray; to what end?" 

My soul cried: "Lord, thou must keep, even 
though I but cry and weep, without avail to 
turn thy heavenly purpose." 

I again said to the Father: "I do not wish 
to be beaten by Satan, but am willing for the 
Lord to chastise me. Father, behold, my whole 
bruised body I give to thee for chastisement. 
Savior, pity!" 

Then, again, all grew darker and darker spir- 
itually. The way was lost ; I knew not whither 
I wandered. In the darkness my soul entered 
a narrow cave, very blackly dark and cold. 
Walking a little way, suddenly airs arose from 
below like poisonous vapors ; then I knew that 
the road led into a deep pit. Many voices of 
dragons, serpents, demons, sounds lamentable to 



142 HU YONG MI. 

hear, confused my spirit and annoyed rny ears. 
I feared greatly and trembled; I dared not ad- 
vance. Then appeared two men, one on either 
side, who, taking me by the hands, led me with 
careful steps through the narrow way, and with 
many terrible fears the place was passed through. 
This was like a dream, but I was not asleep. 
It was an experience of my soul. 

One day I walked the street, secretly praying, 
" Heavenly Father, thou truly art compassionate : 
why treatest thou me so severely? The Lord 
does not cast men off forever. If thou, Lord, do 
not show clemency, who can escape perdition?" 
I pleaded all day long, "Why dost thou not 
show mercy? In the grave who will remem- 
ber thee? In hell who will praise thee? Thou, 
Lord, formerly didst save me; I pray thee, cast 
me not off at present. Give me a pure heart; 
give me a firm, determined will; do not drive 
me from thy presence." 

Suddenly there was a voiceless voice from 
above, "Come unto me." I cried with a loud 
voice, "Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, 
and scourgeth every one whom he receiveth." 
Although I had heard and read this text many 
times, it came to me now with a new meaning. 
I came from darkness into light. 

From this time I realized that God had greatly 
loved me, beyond what I had formerly con- 



STRUGGLES. 143 

ceived — exceedingly, perfectly loved me. The 
very best way had he treated me. As an artificer 
in precious stones grinds and polishes, when 
the jewel is bright, making it still brighter, not 
willing to cease his work until it is a perfect 
gem, thus I was only as a piece of clod; but 
the exalted, holy Lord was willing to bestow so 
great care upon me. In tenderness had he 
planned my scourging, that I might come forth 
purified, polished as a precious stone. 

This love, how great, how high, how deep, 
how wide! Who can measure or estimate it? 
I returned thanks to the Lord without ceasing. 

One day I thought I would like to see a book 
entitled, "Ken Ling Sieng Lo " — The Way of 
Salvation. I quickly went and procured the 
book. Within I found my own way, my own 
experiences, described in each word, in each sen- 
tence. What I read increased my faith greatly. 
It discoursed of salvation through reliance alone 
on the Savior's grace. The roots of self-trust 
were broken, and I obtained fullness of grace. 
This was all by the Lord's love, beyond what 
man can think or ask. 

I thought to myself, "I have now attained 
the foundation upon which I can build a firm 
dwelling." 

Afterward, finding myself again sinning, I 
perceived the roots of evil thoughts in my heart 



144 HU YONG ML 

were not extirpated completely; the contest 
with Satan was not ended ; my soul still kept 
guard. The soul's sickness was gone, but an- 
other thing troubled me. Formerly I had often 
heard a clear voice in answer to my prayers; 
but latterly I had not, though I continually be- 
sought God to grant it. 

I considered the reason to be that I had not 
attained unto perfection ; therefore sometimes I 
grieved in spirit. 



CHAPTER XIII. 
APPOINTED PRESIDING ELDER. 

IN the ninth month of the thirteenth year of 
Tung Te (October, 1873), I was appointed to 
Tieng Ang Tong, Foochow, and made presiding 
elder of the district including Ming Chiang and 
Ku-cheng. 

The missionary in charge was the Rev. 
S. L. Baldwin. Soon after, in the third month 
of the first year of Kwang Sii, the theological 
seminary, was finished, and I moved my family 
into it. On the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth 
month following (January, 1874), I stood in the 
fourth story veranda window of the theological 
seminary, and looked below upon the dense mul- 
titudes crossing the bridges. The throng was so 
great- that men pressed shoulder to shoulder; 
yet they were coming and going as if in urgent 
haste. I queried, What does it mean? Then I 
remembered that the evening of the year was 
at hand when accounts of debtors and creditors 
must all be settled. The creditor will not let 
his debtor go until full payment is made. 

I thought, How much these people owe God ! 
Alas ! they never reckon up that debt, or make 

H5 



*4 6 HU YONG MI. 

return. When the judgment-day comes, what 
will they do? 

I felt as if I must have wings and fly to tell 
men plainly of these things. Then within my- 
self I questioned, "Have you made full return 
unto God?" I had not fullness of joy and peace. 
"This is because I am not entirely consecrated 
to Christ," was my reflection. Suddenly I was 
in bitter grief. I hastily went in and sat down a 
little while. In the stillness I asked myself, 
"Now what will you do?" The heart answered, 
"When the bridegroom goes away, they shall 
fast." For the first time I understood the mean- 
ing of this passage, which accorded with my 
need. I began to fast and pray, from that time 
fasting naturally, having no wish for food, dread- 
ing to be spoken to about eating, and thinking 
not of hunger. 

One day, when I was in my room praying, 
there came the revelation that on the morrow I 
should have hindrance to prayer. 

The next day, at ten o'clock, an old friend 
came. Formerly he had been a student in the 
theological seminary. He had preached several 
years. All respected him. Alas ! afterward the 
love of fame and wealth had gradually led him 
away. 

Seeing him come, I sought an opportunity to 
exhort him to repentance. He listened and 



APPOINTED PRESIDING ELDER. H7 

shed tears. I thought, Now there is hope for 
hiin. He remained more than four hours, took 
dinner, and seemed unwilling to depart. I re- 
membered the revelation of the night before, 
"To-morrow there will be hindrance." "Has 
the devil caused him to show false repentance, 
to hinder me from prayer?" thought I. I had 
talked to him, he had shown signs of penitence, 
the prayers had been said, and still he staid 
as if to engage my time. Perhaps the devil 
had sent him thus to detain me by a show of 
penitence. Finally I said to him : "Just now I 
have important business. I invite you to re- 
main seated a little while. I wish to retire 
within to pray." He immediately left me and 
went away. 

That night, while still in the midst of pray- 
ing, suddenly I heard the cocks crow twice. I 
opened my eyes to see, and behold! the lamp 
had gone out. I was very cold. I perceived that 
the Lord was before me. I stretched out both 
hands to grasp his feet, and said : " Lord, the 
light has gone out; the cocks have crowed; and 
I am very cold. It is almost morning; but my 
desire, Lord, is for thy blessing. Except thou 
bless me, I truly will not let thee go." Then my 
heart suddenly received the words : " Heirs of 
God, and joint heirs with Christ;" " Who shall 
bring anything to the charge of God's elect?" 



148 HU YONG MI. 

"The Lord will have mercy upon his afflicted ;" 
"Will he not freely give you all things?" 

These words of revelation remained in my 
mind. They were to me like the priest's Urim 
and Thummim. All anxiety, trouble, and fear 
departed and fled far away. The eyes of my soul 
saw the myriads of Satan's host defeated and 
fast retreating. The power of death, where was 
it? Now is it destroyed. I with a loud voice 
cried, "Victory, victory! the Lord Jesus Christ 
has for me gotten the victory!" 

Then to the Lord I returned great thanks, 
saying: "Thou, Lord, hast shown great favor in 
giving me victory; therefore have the hosts of 
Satan fled. My heart overflows. Now, Lord, 
help me carefully, firmly, to retain the blessing 
which thou hast given." 

I was as if nothing at all. I had nothing upon 
which to trust. I was as if dead, not alive, but 
the life that was in me was altogether faith in 
the Lord Jesus Christ. My desire was not in 
the least line to depart from him — parting 
from him being death, not life. Truly my soul 
knew only Jesus was to me life, truth, the heav- 
enly ladder, whereby access could be had to the 
Father. Men not approaching by him could not 
see the Father. Parted from him one would be 
but as a withered branch. 

O, to be like John — my soul all leaning upon 



APPOINTED PRESIDING ELDER. 149 

the Savior's bosom; like Mary, who wiped his 
feet with her hair! Hii Yong Mi was not. My 
whole being lived in that one word, Jesus! I 
now considered that I had received everything, 
that I had attained unto perfection. 

Now, I have no need to go to Golgotha to 
seek the suffering Savior, no need to go to the 
sepulcher to weep over the dead Jesus! Now 
I see him already risen from the dead — the liv- 
ing, omnipotent, glorified Jesus — also filling and 
stirring my heart. Joy ! 

Ah ! the Lord's love is immeasurable ; higher 
than the heavens, deeper than the seas! With 
his omniscience he enlightens my senses and 
leads me to gradual growth in his love and 
grace. The doctrine of the Trinity became 
clearer — his great love bestowed upon the 
world, upon lowest sinners, deserving perdition. 
This grace is ineffable. Honor, power, glory be 
to God, and to the Lamb, and to the Holy Spirit 
everlastingly, until every heart submits to the 
Lord! 

" Glorious Savior, thou hast saved me, 
Now to thee my all I give !" 

Thus having triumphed, I knew that Jesus 
was my victory, my strength, my life, my pu- 
rity, my mount of refuge, my foundation-stone, 
my perfect peace. 

Two years afterward, in 1876, on the second 



150 HU YONG MI. 

day of the third month, the Heavenly Father 
gave us a little son — Samuel. In that year oc- 
curred one of the greatest floods ever known in 
Foochow. I was away on my circuit, and had 
arrived at Lek Tu, in Ming Chiang District, ex- 
pecting, after holding quarterly- meeting there, 
to go on with Chung Ka En to Ku-cheng for 
quarterly-meeting. Report came that Ming 
Chiang District city was overflowed to above 
the housetops, and Lek Tu people urged me to 
delay my journey two days longer. I could not 
wait, for the season for quarterly-meeting at 
Ku-cheng was near. 

At Mi La Ting, about sixteen miles from 
Lek Tu, we stopped at the home of a Church 
member, whose house was on the hillside. The 
flood had come up to his doorstep. I now real- 
ized how great was the flood. The people had 
heard that I was coming, and had assembled a 
company to hear the Savior's doctrines. Seeing 
the company, and knowing that they had been 
awaiting me, my whole soul was filled with joy 
and thanksgiving to God, who had given me 
so good an opportunity to sow the gospel seed 
among the multitude. 

The next morning I proceeded to K'a Kan, 
three miles distant, to seek a boat. The water 
had left the road, but the mud was deep. All 
had said that the road was impassable, and 



APPOINTED PRESIDING EU3ER. 151 

wished me not to start. I thought that doing 
the Lord's work I should go on the way at the 
appointed time, without delay. When every 
method had been exhausted, if it should be 
found impossible to go on, then I could return 
in peace. My whole heart longed to go to Ku- 
cheng. Although the road was of course diffi- 
cult to travel, I thought that we could get along 
by walking on the brow of the hill. 

I asked an exhorter, Wong Tai Wong, if he 
were willing to go over the road with me. He 
answered, "Well." We then started out together. 
When we came to a place where mud was very 
deep, he carried me on his back. Over the or- 
dinary bad places I cautiously felt my way with 
a staff. Thus we arrived at the city of Ming 
Chiang. Here, in all directions, walls were 
fallen and the streets flooded. Few people were 
to be seen. The city appeared almost deserted. 
Who would not grieve, seeing such a lamentable 
condition ? 

I called for a boat, but no one answered. 
I started back towards K'a Kan, and met one 
man who asked where I was going. I answered, 
*'I am going to Ku-cheng." "You are crazy," 
he replied. " How can you go?" Then to pre- 
vent my going, he cried with a loud voice, 
"You must immediately turn back." 

• I was determined to go, and inquired of 



152 HU YONG MI. 

Tai Wong if he were still willing to accompany 
me to K'a Kan. (This was a little further on, 
where the Lek Tu Creek joined the Min River.) 
I thanked him warmly for according with me, 
and we again went on together. Here the water 
had not left the road, and the mud was much 
worse. Only the tops of trees were visible, 
standing out of the water. 

One or two boats were seen bearing city peo- 
ple off to the hills. When I called them, they an- 
swered not at all; but I heard them say, "Just 
offer us a few tens of thousands of dollars, and 
we will not go!'* The few houses which had 
stood there were thrown down by the flood. There 
was no place to stop. To return was very diffi- 
cult. I walked back and forth. Suddenly I 
perceived a movement in the branches of a tree. 
At once a Chwi Kan boat shot out from the midst 
of the tree-tops below the bank. (Chwi Kan 
is a town on the river between Ming Chiang 
and Ku-cheng.) 

The boat was bound for Chwi Kan, and hap- 
pened to come just in front of me. We were very 
glad to get on board. Wong Tai Wong returned 
to Mi La Ting. The moment I boarded the 
boat, the helm was turned and the boat was 
steered out into deep water. Strange ! If it had 
come a little sooner or a little later, I could not 
have secured it. Truly, thanks belong to God, 



APPOINTED PRESIDING ELDER. 153 

who had prepared for me beforehand means to 
go where I must go. 

The passengers in the boat had had nothing 
to eat for three days. That night the boat 
stopped at Ang Ming K'a. Men went to get 
rice, but none was to be obtained. I felt sorry 
for them. The next day all the passengers, 
except my burden-bearer and myself, went 
ashore, thinking to arrive at Chwi Kan quicker 
by walking. But soon after they left the boat 
a strong south wind sprang up which brought 
us to Chwi Kan before those who walked. I 
walked fifty-five li (seventeen miles) to Hok 
To Liang. The next day, Saturday, I arrived at 
Ku-cheng just in time for the quarterly-meeting. 

Seeing me, all were astonished, thinking I 
must have taken wings to fly thither. Quarterly- 
meeting over, I started on Monday to return to 
Foochow across the mountains. 

My first stopping place in Foochow was Ching 
Sing Tong. I found the walls broken. The 
people of Foochow were suffering from famine. 
The missionaries and the merchants had pro- 
vided for the distribution of rice at Ching Sing 
Tong. 

My own old home, in which I was born, had 
been washed away. My mother and brothers had 
all been protected by God, and were all safe alive. 
All thought it most wonderful that I should 



154 HU YONG MI. 

have gone and returned during so great a flood. 
Together they rejoiced, giving thanks unto God 
who had led us all out of the way of death. 
The psalmist says, "Though I walk through 
the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no 
evil, for thou, Lord, art with me." One who 
goes forward in the full performance of duty, 
through ways encompassed by danger, receives 
Divine protection. The recognition of this 
gives me peace. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

KU-CHENG DISTRICT. 

IN the eleventh . month of the second year of 
Kwong Siii (December, 1876), I moved my 
family to Ku-cheng, to which district I had that 
year been appointed presiding elder. Ku-cheng 
had belonged to Foochow District, and had just 
that year been made a separate district. 

The members in that city were about forty, 
mostly poor people. There had been a drought, 
and many of the poor families needed assist- 
ance. I exhorted the wealthier members to sub- 
scribe for the relief of these poor. It was done ; 
but there was dissatisfaction about the distribu- 
tion of the relief fund, one thinking he had too 
little given him, and that another had too much. 
They began to harbor ill-will against me. Some 
wished certificates given them to go and join 
the English Church. There were also members 
who gambled and were quarrelsome. I heard 
of one who was addicted to opium. Some mem- 
bers had trouble through not performing ances- 
tral worship at graves. The rent of their fields 
was refused them, so they wished ine to inform 
the officials. Alas! I had arrived in the midst 

155 



156 HU YONG MI. 

of troublous circumstances, causing me secret 
sorrow. There seemed no opportunity for spir- 
itual work. When I had passed through this 
place before I had found men of earnest hearts, 
now were they unfavorably changed. 

I think some too favorite members had been 
treated as is often a precocious child. It is 
overpetted. It is busy all the day in all manner 
of activities, till the parents are too weary to 
eat. One must just have patience with such. 

Among them were a few members who acted 
together with me to restore tranquillity. These 
circumstances were not unprofitable to me. God 
used them for my discipline. I had before 
resorted to secret prayer and fasting, to prevent 
self-trust and negligence of important affairs. 
Now, again I felt that it was necessary I should 
fast. I also, with a few members of like mind, 
met daily before daylight to pray for the Church. 

Before long we had help from God. The 
Church was lifted up. I began holding meet- 
ings in private houses in the different villages 
round about. I saw the Church members, ardent 
in spirit, longing for the gospel, serving the 
Lord with gladness of heart. 

There was one village in the mountains, 
called Hwang Te Yong, belonging to Kiong 
Ning prefecture. A Church member there as- 
certained at what time I was to arrive at his 



KU-CHENG DISTRICT. 157 

village. He then early made preparation of a 
large quantity of native vegetables and game, 
although he was very poor. Snow was very 
deep at this time. I noticed that our host's 
wife and children and other women of the family 
wore two suits of summer clothing, yet they 
appeared joyous and happy, smiling more pleas- 
antly than one often sees. I asked the preacher, 
"Why do they wear only two suits of summer 
clothing?" He answered: "Because you, Sing- 
sang, have come, they have to-day put on an 
extra suit. Each one carries a fire-basket, and 
they are so busy they do not feel cold." I felt 
sorry for them. 

Seeing them go to kill chickens and ducks, 
I secretly urged the preacher to prevent it, for 
I did not wish to eat their substance. Our 
host and his wife said: "We have already pre- 
pared for you. If you are unwilling to partake, 
our desire will be unfulfilled. Accept, please, if 
you do not contemn the food prepared, and if you 
are willing to treat us as disciples of Christ." 

I published in the Ling PS (the native Church 
paper) the experiences of this quarter, and L,an 
Ing Sing, treasurer at King Ang Tong, Foochow, 
published the report. He was affected by the 
story of the family at Hwang Te Yong, and 
took a subscription for them, which he deliv- 
ered to me. 



I 5 8 HU YONG MI. 

This manifested that they had the love of 
God — holding things in common, like the early 
Christians. 

At Siong Te and Loi Hung were many women 
who zealously studied the Scriptures, and went 
to neighboring villages expounding the Savior's 
doctrine. They also provided entertainment for 
preachers and members from a distance. All 
named the women of these two villages Marys 
and Marthas. Holding, at one time, quarterly- 
meeting at Loi Hung, a Church sister brought 
forward a little child for baptism, and requested 
me to give it a name. I asked for the child's 
history. The sister told me that she had taken 
it out of a ditch at the foot of the hill behind 
her house. Having heard the crying of the 
child in the night, she took her pitch-pot for a 
light, and went in search. Finding it a new- 
born baby, she took it home, gave it milk, and 
adopted it for her own. I said to her: "Well 
done ! You know how to love humanity for the 
Savior's sake. Very exceedingly good! (Ho 
tek heng.)" I therefore gave it the name of 
Ho Tek Heng. 

Seven or eight new stations were opened in 
the district. For a time there were not preachers 
enough for the new places. I constantly prayed 
the Lord, as he directed in the Gospels, saying: 
"The harvest is plenteous, the laborers are few. 



KU-CHENG DISTRICT. 159 

I beseech thee, send laborers into the harvest- 
field." 

It occurred that year, by the grace of God, 
that a few preachers, not just suited for work 
elsewhere, were given over to me for the Ku- 
cheng District. They strengthened the work. 
Yearly the several stations added fifty or sixty 
new members. Intelligence increased among 
the members. 

This year (1877) Bishop Wiley came to Foo- 
chow to organize the Annual Conference. He, 
with Rev. S. L. Baldwin and Rev. D. W. Chand- 
ler, paid a special visit to Ku-cheng. 

Seeing the chapel too small, they promised 
to build another in the Fifth Ward. This new 
building was very roomy — over seventeen hun- 
dred feet in circumference. The cost was about 
six hundred dollars. Rev. D. W. Chandler was 
missionary in charge. He was very zealous in 
the work of a pastor and preacher of the gospel. 
He explained the Scriptures with exceeding clear 
discernment, added to men's virtue, and created 
among the preachers more hunger and thirst for 
knowledge. His intuitions were quick. From 
a word he comprehended what was in the mind 
of another. He rejoiced to assist in building 
chapels everywhere. 

The building of the chapel at Ku-cheng 
required about one year. There were many 



160 HU YONG MI. 

troublesome circumstances connected with it, 
giving occasion for tears, fasting, and prayers. 
In the end it was erected, not by ax, chisel, and 
saw, but by the manifest power of the Holy 
Spirit. Outside men, seeing us patient in the 
midst of many annoyances, could not under- 
stand the meaning of it. One old man of the 
neighborhood said : " We see that the doctrine 
of Jesus is good, very good ; but this patience 
toward men is difficult to learn. We think you 
are too patient." 

Certain members of the English Church fre- 
quently said, "The Methodist Episcopal Church 
is not strongly established ;" meaning not a State 
Church, and caused men to contemn us. I knew 
that there was a certain narrow way in which I 
must walk ; that although all things are under the 
sway of Divine government, we must conduct 
business carefully, trusting not in the might of 
men. If our trust were in men, verily the power 
and glory of God might be concealed by the influ- 
ence of men's violent passions, and the foundation 
of the gospel be found to be laid in sand. I had 
been very, very sorrowful — there was so much 
for which there seemed utterly no help. Then I 
knelt and importunately said to the Lord : " Lord, 
behold, enemies are everywhere intrenched. Thy 
servant has great sorrow, and there remains no 
way to work. Now I ask thee, Lord, to come 



KU-CHENG DISTRICT. 161 

at once and help me." My heart received the 
thought, "You just go forward, doing fully that 
which you ought to do; you will know that I 
help." 

I then thought there are only two ways, in 
both of which lie difficulty and danger. If, by 
exhausting every method, something might be. 
accomplished, it would be well ; but if nothing 
be accomplished, the matter is made worse. 
Now, since God has made to me a revelation, 
I will proceed in the course that seems best. 
As a matter of course, the thing desired was 
accomplished with ease beyond what man could 
imagine. 

In the evening, when the business was finished, 
I wrote a letter to Rev. D. W. Chandler. The 
next morning my letter was no sooner dis- 
patched than I received one from Mr. Chandler, 
saying that he had, while praying, received 
answer from the Heavenly Father that the 
trouble at Ku-cheng was ended. I marveled as 
I read it. Ku-cheng is distant several hundred 
li, with no telegraph wire by which to commu- 
nicate. Through a believer's prayer communi- 
cation had been accomplished quicker than by 
electricity. After the business was all completed, 
the enemies were much humbled, and confessed 
their wrong, and listened to my preaching until 
they forgot their meals. 



1 62 HU YONG MI. 

Being summoned by members of their fam- 
ily, they replied, " Hearing this doctrine is bet- 
ter than eating." On the occasion of the dedi- 
cation of the chapel a neighbor presented a 
picture which he had designed and sketched. 
It represented an old man, a sage, sitting in the 
midst of a pile of rocks. The stones about 
were ingeniously formed to resemble men and 
woman — the likeness not discernible at the first 
glance. Above the picture was written the 
legend, " To hwa sik sing ing " — Doctrine (Chris- 
tianity) transforms stones into men. The pine- 
tree, under which the sage sat, assumed the 
form of a cross. (The pine is the emblem of 
longevity.) Having seen the picture, I was as- 
tonished ; for the artist was not a Church mem- 
ber, nor was he a firm believer in Christianity. 
How was it that he had portrayed an idea corre- 
sponding so with Scripture? Truly, Christians 
are, in every condition and action, watched by 
men of the world. Therefore, according to 
what they see us do, they form their concep- 
tion. This truly glorifies God and the name of 
Jesus. May the will of God be done in all 
men's hearts quickly ! Amen. 

Finally, I, with Mr. Chandler, went to see 
the magistrate about the expulsion of a hanger- 
on at the chapel, who had troubled us a year. 
The magistrate, Eu, knew that we had used all 



KU-CHENG DISTRICT. 1 63 

leniency toward our opponents. Therefore he 
was very energetic in the business, rendering 
us assistance as if it were his own affair, and 
in less than three days the man moved off. 

It was God who caused the magistrate to be 
thus helpful in the matter. Afterward both 
believers and unbelievers saw clearly that we 
had not been inactive because we had no means 
to exert, but because we were unwilling at once 
to follow our urgent desires, and irregularly use 
human power and influence against immoral 
men. We rather wished first to reveal the gos- 
pel principle, "Overcome evil with good." 
" This is true patience," said outsiders. Great 
thanks to the Father in heaven for causing us, 
not alone with the voice, to preach to men's souls 
the doctrines of the gospel. As the heavens 
without speech reveal the glory of God, so do 
Christians. Again was the Word fulfilled : 
"Going forth with tears to sow, returning with 
joy." 

This year our son Samuel was dangerously 
ill with measles, and lay at the point of death. 
Several days he lay unconscious, turning his 
head from side to side, recognizing neither his 
father nor mother. None of the physicians in 
the city could help him. All were tried in vain. 
The neighbors sympathized with us. They 
came and informed us that about forty li dis- 



1 64 HU YONG MI. 

tant from the city, at Sek % Paik Tu, dwelt an 
independent physician, who had a wide reputa- 
tion for the treatment of measles, but who 
treated patients at his own house, not going 
abroad. They offered to take a letter for me to 
this physician, descriptive of the boy's symp- 
toms, and get his advice. 

But while I was yet meditating about it, this 
doctor came to the house with Chiong Taik 
Liong, preacher at Sek Chek Tu. The doctor 
had learned from Chiong Taik Liong of my boy's 
severe illness, and had come for the special pur- 
pose of seeing him. The neighbors seeing the 
great doctor come uninvited, wondered and 
praised God, saying, "Your God is all divine." 
They rejoiced, believing that the child would 
now be well. 

Alas ! after taking the medicine, the child did 
not grow better, but worse. The doctor, who 
had remained to see the effect of the medicine, 
abandoned all hope and returned home. Then 
was my soul deeply distressed ; but I prayed 
God to have mercy, and save the child. While 
praying, the word revealed to my heart was, " If 
now I manifest my power you will not recog- 
nize it." 

I asked, "What is the reason?" Then I 
realized that I had all along been relying on 
human aid, and I had been impatient, if one 



KU-CHENG DISTRICT. 1 65 

doctor's medicine did not benefit, to call at once 
another physician. I still trusted in human 
means, and had not exhausted all my fancied 
methods. There were two physicians in the 
city, among those called, whose medicine had 
seemed somewhat efficacious. These I wished 
to call again. One, at my summons, refused 
to come ; the other was ill, and could not come. 

"Now," I felt, "I have exhausted all means, 
and have only God upon whom to rely. The 
child will be well." As I was about to whisper 
this hope to my wife, she spoke first, and said, 
" He will get well." At this time there was no 
change in the child's symptoms. About five 
minutes after we had spoken, the child opened 
its lips and called "mamma." He improved 
from that moment, and in one month was again 
walking about. 

If God had exerted his power while we still 
trusted in man's skill, it would not have been 
evident whose power had accomplished the work. 
Rev. D. W. Chandler said, "Man's extremity is 
God's good opportunity." This word was truly 
precious. 

In the twelfth month of the same year (Jan- 
uary, 1879) we moved into the newly-built 
chapel to live. On the Teng Yong Circuit, at 
Liang T'an, lived a Church member whose wife 
died. Her heathen relatives came in a body, 



1 66 HU YONG MI. 

and tried to compel the husband to have various 
idolatrous ceremonies performed. He refused. 
The crowd increased. They were like wolves 
and tigers. With great uproar they essayed to 
drive the man from his house, beating him, 
breaking up furniture, tearing down partitions 
of the house, etc. They were exhorted to keep 
order by many good words, but without avail. 
The man made his escape, and in company with 
Tiong Ming Tung, came the fifty li to Ku-cheng 
to request me to inform the magistrate, and 
have a police force sent to stop the work of de- 
struction. Hearing the case, I was troubled 
too, and said: "Alas! I heard this morning that 
the magistrate had gone to the west to see 
about the case of one beaten to death. You 
must wait two or three days for his return. 
Since the matter is so urgent, how can you 
wait?" 

They urged: "Inform the military com- 
mander for us. Request him to depute a few 
yamen soldiers to return with us. We are will- 
ing to meet all the expenses." 

I replied: "People's civil suits do not come 
within the jurisdiction of the military camp. 
Since the military commandant is my relative, 
I must be the more careful not to ask him to 
exceed his duty. Even should I make the re- 
quest of him, it would be too late. Soldiers 



KU-CHENG DISTRICT. 167 

could not arrive at your village at the earliest 
before to-morrow evening — too late to save any- 
thing." 

The preacher replied a little sharply: "You 
seem to be unwilling to do this, and unwilling 
to do that. I only fear that the church will be 
destroyed." 

I answered: "The church is one established 
by God. Men can not steal it away. You must 
strengthen your faith, lest you fall into the wiles 
of the devil." 

"According to your view, Sing-sang," con- 
tinued the preacher, "what is there which can 
be done more quickly?" 

I replied : " God, whom you and I worship, is 
omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, sovereign 
of all. If you ask him, he can this moment 
cause your enemies to flee. Do you not yet 
know — do you not believe this?" He, hearing 
this was dumb ; yet agitated, impatient, as if he 
would say, "Our business is very urgent; you 
talk of preaching and praying !" He made a 
movement as if at once going away. 

I took hold of his hand and held him, ask- 
ing, "Where do you believe God to be?" Si- 
lence. "Now let me tell you, God's Spirit is 
truly here in our midst. It is recorded in his 
Word, 'Ask and ye shall receive.' Now, at this 
time, you may see the great power of God man- 



1 68 HU YONG ML 

ifested visibly, increasing your faith, and through 
your faith, still more increasing faith." 

He was anxious at once to go away, for it was 
now dark. I immediately knelt and prayed. 
They could not but kneel with me. When 
prayer was over, I said to them: "The enemies 
of your house have already with fear fled away. 
Return in peace." The preacher and the Church 
member were affected during the prayer, and 
were ready to believe it might be so. 

On the next morning they departed, and be- 
fore arriving at their home they learned that the 
relatives of the deceased wife had all gone. 
Inquiring at what time, they were told at dark 
the evening belore — exactly at the time of 
prayer. 



CHAPTER XV. 

FRUITvS OF LABOR. 

ONE day, accompaying a guest, Wong Eiing 
Chiong, to the door, I saw a wretched vag- 
abond standing near. Wong Eiing Chiong rec- 
ognized him, and said to me: "That fellow 
often stands outside the chapel listening to your 
preaching." I then invited the man to come in 
and be seated. He could hardly be persuaded 
to do so, but yielded at last as by compulsion. 

I asked him, " How many times have you 
come to listen outside?" 

He replied, "I am always here to listen." 

"Why do you not come inside the chapel?" 
I asked. 

"You are so clean and so grand," he an- 
swerered, "how could I enter?" 

I again questioned, " What have you 
heard?" 

He answered, "Not one sentence which was 
not exceedingly good." 

I then exhorted him to come and be a dis- 
ciple. He shook his head and sighed, as if to 
say, "That happiness is not for me." I ear- 
nestly exhorted him to come to Jesus, assuring 

12 169 



170 HU YONG MI. 

him that he would receive salvation. Before 
long he caine again. I inquired, " Have you 
anything to tell me?" He shook his head. 

"Alas!" he said, "I wish to inquire if the 
Savior is willing to receive the most wicked, 
the most unworthy of men." 

These words moved me very much. I un- 
consciously shed tears. 

"Truly, do you know that you have sinned?" 
I asked him. 

"Ah, ah," he replied, shaking his head, "my 
sins are more than I can tell. All wickedness 
have I committed." 

Some bystanders remarked: "We all know 
Lan Tiong Lung, his bad name, his wicked 
deeds. He has opened gambling-places, opium- 
shops. He himself eats opium. All fear him. 
He has been employed to recover bad debts, 
because none dare to refuse him. Every wick- 
edness has he done. Formerly his father bound 
him with an iron chain. He loosed it and ran 
away." 

" Not only so," continued Lan Tiong Lung, 
"my heart perceives that it has offended against 
the law ot God, and broken all commands. 
Now how is salvation possible ?" 

I then said: "The Savior came from heaven 
to earth, and suffered to save man from sin. To 
whom does the word ' man ' refer? That one 



FRUITS OF LABOR. 17 1 

who is truly penitent, who desires to forsake all 
sin, who confesses Jesus to be the Savior, and 
who believes that the death of the Lord was for 
him, the spilled blood was shed alone for his 
sins, — that kind of a man, although he has many 
sins, has them all covered and forgiven. Such 
a heart accords perfectly with the will of God, 
who promises to save. Without confession, re- 
pentance, faith, the very least sin will not be 
forgiven. Whosever cometh unto God he will 
not cast away. To the heavy burdened, the sor- 
rowful coming to him, he gives peace." 

Then I prayed with the man. He resolved 
to break off opium, to cease the opium business 
and gambling. Some pipes he destroyed. Some 
other utensils he delivered to me. He gave up 
all his bad practices. The pills which I gave 
him for the cure of the opium habit he took but a 
few days. He thought that if he died through 
casting away his sin, the better. One day he 
lay on the roadside as if dying. All men knew 
that his was a case of opium illness. They 
tried to draw him into an opium den, telling 
him that if he but took two pipes he would be 
well. He answered, "Men who have not the 
opium habit also take sick and die." He would 
not touch the drug, and he recovered. 

He now became a peddler of fish, going 
through the various villages with his burden of 



172 HU YONG MI. 

fish. In his business he manifested that he was 
honest, just, and sincere. He sold only what 
was good, and charged but a fair price, not 
cheating in any way. Everybody discussed the 
matter of his sudden change to goodness. 

"Can such a bad man have become good? 
No; perhaps he has become a false Christian to 
deceive the Christian minister in some way." 

After a long time he preached zealously to 
men the Christian doctrine. Many men used 
various methods to tempt and try him. They, 
seeing that he was not moved except to laugh 
at them for so doing, wondered greatly, saying, 
" This man is truly a Christian !" Then they 
asked: "What magic did the Christian minister 
use? Has the doctrine power to transform such 
a kind of a man into one so good ?" All greatly 
wondered, but could not explain. Then they 
went to Lan Tiong Lung and questioned him, 

« You man — why or how did you become so 

changed?" 

He answered : " It was the power of God 
which regenerated me. It was the grace of 
Jesus which saved me. I, Tiong Lung, this 
man, no man near me— only the love of Jesus 
so great that he was willing to receive me — this 
caused me to live again from the dead." 

Men asked him many times over. Tiong 
Lung responded in the same way. Finally he 



FRUITS OF LABOR. 173 

said, "I have told you many times over; why are 
you not willing to believe?" Thus the reputa- 
tion of Jesus' doctrine became fragrant every- 
where. 

Many people came afterward to have great 
faith in Tiong Lung. Be foretime men were not 
willing to trust him with a single cash. Now, 
traders, rich men, and genteel gave him large 
sums of silver to take to Foochow for the pur- 
pose of making purchases. His latter state dif- 
fered widely from his former, and manifested 
the power of the Holy Spirit to transform the 
inner heart of man. Tiong Lung still lives, and 
is a firm Christian, and an honest tradesman still 
in Lek Tu. 

One time I gathered together a company to 
investigate what customs hindered men from 
learning Christian doctrine — what were the 
causes of the persecution of Christians. I 
learned that for the festival of the fifteenth day 
of the first month the citizens were to serve reg- 
ularly in turn as superintendent of the idol pro- 
cession, etc. To escape this was very difficult. 

I said to the company : " Now, consider what 
methods can be adopted to avoid this trouble. 
In two weeks I will .hear your report." 

After two weeks the answer was, " No 
method." They only sighed, "We can not think 
it out." 



174 HU YONG MI. 

I asked, "If the turn comes to you to super- 
intend, and you simply do nothing, would any- 
thing dreadful happen?" 

They replied : " If we do nothing, the whole 
village would pour out upon the house with 
cursings and railings, seize the offender, and hang 
him by his hands fast behind his back, and 
beat him till he would promise to act ; or they 
might plunder the house, and drive the man out 
of the village." 

"What is the business, what is implied in 
superintending the idol procession, etc.?" I 
asked. 

They replied: "The man upon whom the 
business devolves must make a great quantity 
of small cakes, piling them up in high pyra- 
mids to the ceiling. He must take many kinds of 
dried fruits and seeds to make decorations; must 
kill and dress many chickens, pigs, and sheep; 
and all these things are to be taken and arranged 
in good form in the ancestral temple. The people 
of one village parade their idol to another vil- 
lage, and this in turn parades its idol to the 
first, thus exchanging visits. The head man 
must himself carry the idol. The procession 
over, a feast is spread, and all invited meet at 
the house of the superintendent. Rich or poor, 
it matters not, if one's turn comes to act as 
principal, one must. A poor man must use sev- 



FRUITS OF LABOR. 175 

eral tens of thousands of cash. The whole ex- 
pense does not devolve upon one, but several. 
They usually spend from one to two hundred 
thousand cash each. Therefore, the poor must 
often part with fields and houses to raise money 
for the procession. Therefore, the name in the 
village for the head man is Chiok Len Tan 
(Short-lived chief)." 

I said to the assembly, " You are all willing 
for the Lord Jesus' sake to put it all away?" 

They answered: " May the Lord help. We 
will obey his will." 

I said : " We must fervently pray. God can 
give us victory in this matter." 

Afterward, thanks to God, I was given a 
good opportunity to speak to the village council, 
and was kindly received by them. 

Afterward, when they assembled to arrange 
for the festival, I went to see them, and en- 
treated that the villagers might be allowed to 
follow their own conscience in the matter 01 
worshiping the idol; that no one should be 
forcibly compelled. I hoped that thus the vil- 
lage fathers, uncles, and brothers would have 
harmony and peace. " This accords with the 
happiness which you, honorable men, wish for 
your people," I said. The elders were greatly 
pleased with my words, and cheerfully granted 
my request. " Worshiping the supreme Lord is 



176 HU YOXG MI. 

good, 1 ' they said ; " we none of us disbelieve 
that. The business [of providing for the fes- 
tival] is a public concern. Some of our mem- 
bers are absent to-day. We do not know what 
they would wish. 1 ' 

I then requested as a favor that they would 
speak to the others, and, with expressions of 
thanks, took my leave. Departing from the 
council I, with the few members who had accom- 
panied me, went to the homes of those who had 
been absent from the council, soliciting them to 
promise to be lenient in the matter. 

Their -answer was the same as that of the 
other elders. 

I said, " I have seen all the other elders ; 
they are favorably inclined, but wait word from 
you." 

" We have nothing to oppose the majority," 
was their answer. 

Thanks to God for thus permitting this most 
troublesome matter to come to an end. Church 
members were no more compelled to be chiefs 
of the idolatrous festivities. 

The elders brought to me the historical 
boards on which were inscribed the names of 
all the inhabitants, and allowed me to erase 
names of Church members. 

The members were rejoiced. They used the 
money which ordinarily they must have ex- 



FRUITS OF LABOR. 177 

pended on the festivities to repair roads. (It 
had been an article of agreement with the elders 
that money should be so used. The roads were 
quickly repaired before the time for the proces- 
sions. All perceived that it was good.) 

At the time of the feast a class of persons, 
finding the Christians absent from the ancestral 
temple, raised a disturbance, and cursed their 
names. Relatives of the Christians were thereby 
made angry. They returned home, and tried to 
compel their Christian kin to go to the temple. 
All ran to my house in tears. I called to their 
remembrance the words of Christ, " Blessed are 
ye when men shall revile you," etc. 

Some years after I had left Ming Chiang, I 
heard that one year the turn came for Lan 
Tiong Lung to be chief of the idol festivities. 
His villagers were determined to compel him 
to act. (He belonged to another village, where 
the names of Christians had not been erased, 
but where they had been leniently treated. I 
had had opportunities to give instruction and 
exhortation to the elders and literati of this vil- 
lage. Many had intermittent fever, and I took 
them quinine and the gospel.) 

Lan Tiong Lung was subjected to many an- 
noyances. Attempts were made to frighten him 
into serving. Finding that he would not yield, 
the people said he might only bow his head • 



178 HU YONG MI. 

they would do all the work (or him. This he 
refused to do. 

He spoke but a few words: "Cut off my 
head, all right. Bow my head I will not. 1 ' He 
resolved to lose everything, even his life, for the 
Lord, and was glad therefor. 

All seeing that he was not in the least to be 
moved, and that he feared not death, left off 
troubling him. 

May the Holy Spirit descend, and cause the 
seed sown in men's hearts to spring up and 
bring forth fruits — a hundred, sixty, thirty fold ! 
Amen! 

One time, after a two months' absence on my 
circuit, returning to Lek Tu, I heard men on 
the road cry, " Heaven, earth, send rain ! We 
starve." 

This gave me information of a terrible 
drought. My heart was sad ; but I thought) 
"God has power over the rain. To be sorrow- 
ful profits nothing," and I dismissed my sadness. 

One day some poor girls twice brought me 
fowls to sell. They weighed but a few ounces, 
or but little over a pound each. I said to them : 
" Little sisters, you must take the fowls home, 
and feed them a little longer. These pullets 
will repay you very quickly. Bring them again 
when larger, and you will receive more cash." 
Wong Eiing Chiong, a Church member, was 



FRUITS OF LABOR. 179 

standing near, who said, sighing : " Sir, you 
know how to calculate thus for them ! Do they 
not know the same themselves? When there is 
such scarcity of food that many poor people 
have nothing to eat, where can they get any- 
thing to feed chickens?" 

I was greatly moved, and, astonished, asked, 
" Is that truly the case?" 

He only sighed, u Alas ! yes." 

I then said : " This is God's appointment. 
Who can change the righteous anger of High- 
est Heaven?" 

I thought in my heart, iow good if one 
might approach into His presence, face to face, 
with strength to speak ! I am what sort ot 
man ? How can I approach his presence ? In 
my heart came the answer: "You are the Lord's 
servant, and are also called to be his son." Sud- 
denly aroused, I asked myself, " Besides those 
who believe in the Lord Jesus, who can ap- 
proach near to God ? Who can face to face 
with the Supreme speak, and he be pleased to 
hear ? Truly we are his own. Truly it is my 
duty to weep and recount before him the sor- 
rows of the people. That they have suffered 
so long, and I have not prayed, is my iault." 

I then called upon the Christians to meet in 
the chapel, fasting, the next morning, to pray 
for rain. 



180 HU YONG MI. 

When the people were assembled, I read a 
few verses of Scripture, and then we prayed. 
During prayer I felt the unction of the Holy 
Spirit. The words which were uttered were 
mostly words of the psalmist. My faith in- 
creased as I prayed. Suddenly my right ear 
heard a distinct voice, " There is hope ; your 
prayer is not in vain." In my heart a voice 
without a sound said, "To-morrow at this time 
rain." 

At this time an idol procession was passing, 
calling for rain. If rain had fallen then, all 
would have said, "This idol has great power." 
I thought it ought not so to be. Then came 
the small voice, "To-morrow at this time rain." 
Rising from prayer, my whole heart was filled 
with joy, and I said to the assembly: "The 
Lord has promised. A voice said to me, ' To- 
morrow at this time rain ;' now you may all in 
peace return home." 

Some, full of faith, returned to their homes, 
and published the matter. Those who were not 
believers remarked, "If this heaven sends rain 
to-morrow, then we must all join with the 
Christians." The next morning not the least 
cloud appeared in the sky. The sun was hot- 
ter than before. Some ridiculed, saying, 
" Where is the rain coming from to-day, and not 
a sign of cloud ?" I knelt praying, waiting for 



FRUITS OF LABOR. 181 

the rain to come. My faith said, " Surely, rain 
to-day." It was as though already accom- 
plished to my knowledge. 

After praying the second time, I went out 
and saw that clouds had risen ; but the sun 
still shone. I prayed again, as if flying through 
the heavens, grasping the clouds, and drawing 
them over the face of the sky and the sun. 

While kneeling the third time I heard thun- 
der. A great wind sprang from all quarters, 
and very great rain poured down. 

I was so happy my tears ran down like the 
heavy rain. 

I heard from every house sounds of joy at 
the coming of rain. 

Quickly the creek rose. All its banks over- 
flowed. It seemed that it rose ten feet in an 
hour's time, so mighty was the downpour. 
Earth was washed from the hills in places, 
causing chasms. Trees were felled ; walls 
broken down, and much damage done to grow- 
ing grain. 

Afterward when there was drought, people 
often came for prayers. 



CHAPTER XVI. 
VICTORIES WON. 

ONE time, having been on a fifty days' cir- 
cuit through all the districts, I had reached 
Chiong Hu Pwang, and held quarterly-meeting 
there, and was then about to return to Lek Tu. 
When ready, for the journey I learned that no 
boat could move on account ot a high freshet in 
the river. I returned to the chapel, and the 
Church members greeted me with clapping of 
hands. They had wished me to stay longer with 
them. They now said, "It is God who keeps 
you here ; you must be content. " 

I answered: "The work of the quarter, to do 
which God has commissioned me, seems all to 
be completed. If I stay longer I fear it will not 
profit you." "Why so?" they all exclaimed. 
I replied: "I fear that you rejoice only in the 
hearing of the ear, but do not carefully reflect 
and vigorously act in accordance with God's 
will upon the divine revelation which you have 
received. To do this is to know God ; to have 
him more manifest to you; to have your faith 
deepened, grace increased, and happiness more 
abundant than that arising from any other 
182 



VICTORIES WON. 1 83 

source. Examine what you do; then will your 
joy be in yourself, not in another. Every man 
must bear his own burden. To hear the com- 
mands of God, and not to obey, is to contemn 
the Lord. That sin is the greatest. You be- 
come worse than those who have not heard the 
doctrine. Eike a hydrocephalous child, you 
will never attain a normal stature. All Scrip- 
ture absorbed, if not assimilated hardens the 
heart." The people said, "To-day, here we 
have received much instruction already, which 
has greatly profited us." 

But I knew that for some other purpose, not 
this, God had kept me at Chiong Hu Pwang. 
Therefore, I constantly sought what it was I 
should do; but in vain. My countenance ex- 
pressed sadness. The people, seeing my expres- 
sion, supposed that, because I had been so long 
absent from home, I desired to return. Truly 
it was not so. Every day there was heavy rain 
and flood until Friday, when the river was in 
condition for a boat to go, and we started. All 
gladly escorted me to the boat. Very fast we 
went down stream to Chwi Kan. There sud- 
denly arose a great wind to hinder our progress. 
I thought, "This is very strange. God has 
stopped me again; I know not for what reason." 
My heart was sorrowful. In the boat I had no 
peace. It was as if something drove me to 



184 HU YONG MI. 

leave the boat. I felt as if I must go to the 
English mission chapel. I thought if I only 
went there a few minutes to greet the pastor, I 
could return to the boat in peace. 

At the chapel I met a member of the English 
Church, an old man, Ngoi Cheng Ting. He was 
from Wang Kan, distant about six miles from 
Chwi Kan. He had come to the chapel an 
hour or two before me. He came iorward and 
made salutation. I wished to return quickly to 
the boat, fearing that the pastor, Ngoi Tai Kan, 
would send out to make purchases for my en- 
tertainment; so I wished not to engage the old 
man in too much talk, and thought to answer 
him in one sentence — the common greeting — 
"Has your heart peace?" 

He began to tell what had been his ex- 
perience since he began to be a Christian, talk- 
ing, it appeared, interminably. As I listened, 
I wondered. His whole heart was full of joy. 
His expressions were so in accord with Scripture 
that I was astonished. 

He said: "At one time my spirit had already 
left the body, and perceived that it had left 
the body. I saw into the glory of heaven, such 
a glory as earth knows not. If comparable to 
anything, it was like living a thousand years 
in one day. I greatly wish to return to that 
place, for I have seen it." Again he said he 






VICTORIES WON. 185 

had seen the judgment. His heart had fear be- 
yond bounds. 

Here I took paper and pencil, secretly to note 
his expressions. I sat as if listening to him 
indifferently. I said: "Brother, just speak on. 
I have a few important items which I wish to 
jot down, but I will hear you." 

He then told of the sorrows of repentance — 
how greatly he sorrowed. Suddenly he heard 
the voice of the Lord saying unto him, "Hap- 
piness eternal receive by the grace of God!" 
With loud voice he exclaimed : "Then received 
I great grace of God, beyond words to tell. I 
knew not letters nor how to write. Daily and 
nightly I longed for the coming of Christ, to pub- 
lish in my stead the great grace and joy I had 
received. I also wished to carve it on stone 
monuments to be ever remembered. Glory, 
glory, my Lord Jesus ! No men understand me. 
They say, ' This man is crazy or is a fool.' 
Truly it is not so." I, hearing him thus say 
that he wished to glorify the Lord Jesus, was 
compelled to confess to him what I was doing. 
I said to him: "I know that you are not crazy. 
At this time the words which my hand has 
penned are those which you have spoken — your 
testimony of grace received." He t hearing this, 
was so happy he leaped and shouted for joy, 
springing over the benches, crying and shouting, 
13 



1 86 HU YONG ML 

"God has verily manifested his divinity." Thus 
he leaped and shouted for about half an hour. 
Again he said: "This is what I have ardently 
longed and prayed for. It is truly as if Christ 
had come and accomplished my prayers;" 
crying out, "Joy, joy, joy; thanks, thanks, 
thanks!" Thus, his friends afterward told me, 
he continued shouting for several days at his 
home. 

The shouting in the chapel collected a large 
crowd about the doors. All were astonished, and 
asked, "What is the meaning of this?" Some 
said to me, "Now we are determined to come 
and worship God." My own heart was kin- 
dled with renewed fervor. Deep thoughts came. 
I recognized the likeness in this man's expe- 
rience to my own. I knew for what reason the 
hindrances had befallen me — the rain, the flood, 
the wind. The work was found and done. 
The wind had ceased. The boatmen were ready 
to go on. We went on our homeward journey. 
To this time, this member, Ngoi Cheng Ting, 
is a very earnest Christian. He tells any man 
he sees of the joy he experiences — the joy of 
salvation. He is not eloquent ; but his heart is 
full, and it beams in his countenance. He was 
formerly a mason, but he has given up his busi- 
ness to preach Christ, although not a licensed 
preacher. He has a banner on which are 



VICTORIES WON. 187 

inscribed characters signifying God's power and 
love, the crucifixion of Christ for the sin of 
mankind, the Ten Commandments, and his own 
experiences. This banner he bears on his back 
as he travels hundreds of miles, everywhere 
letting men read the inscriptions he bears. A 
few days ago (November 18, 1886) he came to 
Foochow to see me. He says but little ordi- 
narily; just takes a look and departs, as if say- 
ing, I wished merely a sight of your face. 
This time he said, "Ah! you will go before me; 
but I will quickly come." He tells his ex- 
periences to all, and earnestly prays for those 
who are not converted. He greatly longs for 
the Savior's gospel to spread quickly over all 
the earth, and longs for the second coming of 
Christ and the resurrection. He says: "When 
the Savior appears, I will run forward, and press 
to clasp his feet. Daily and nightly I long to 
go to the place where Jesus is." 

I have thought that in him was fulfilled 
what the Savior said accords with the Heavenly 
Father's good will: "Thou hast hid these things 
from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed 
them unto babes." 

After I had been three years in Ming Cheng, 
I was ordained elder by Bishop Kingsley. Dr. 
Maclay at that time superintended Foochow 
and the up-river districts. The upper districts, 



1 88 HU YONG MI. 

Yong Ping and others, were wide and mountain- 
ous. Mountains and ridges were piled on one 
another very high. The roads were rugged, 
streams and rivulets dangerous. Often robbers 
were met on the way. Dr. Maclay had much 
business for one man, and could not go every- 
where; therefore the upper districts were given 
me to superintend two years. At the expira- 
tion of the two years the Annual Meeting ap- 
pointed me presiding elder of those districts 
four years. Thus the upper districts engaged 
me six years altogether from the time of my 
ordination by Bishop Kingsley. 

One Church member, Lai Lie Nging, went 
to Song Chiong, where formerly he had borne 
rank as a soldier, to rent a chapel, and one local 
preacher was appointed to assist him. 

With Li Nga Hung I went to rent chapels at 
Tai-cheng and Sa Kaing. With Pang Ting Hie 
I went to Ing Aug to rent. In these different 
places, although the language was strange and 
the people were unknown to me, wonderful as 
it was, we found many willing to rent for chapel 
use. Sometimes people asked me to stay and 
be their preacher. I, therefore, had opportu- 
nity to say directly to the landlords that people 
might in future raise difficulties, spread slan- 
ders, etc., and asked them if they feared. They 
answered, "We do not fear." I said still 



. VICTORIES WON. 189 

more plainly, even if anything very terrible 
should happen — even foreigners might come — 
they said to me resolutely, "We do not at all 
fear." Thereafter, therefore, if trouble should 
arise, they could not say I had not warned 
them. Agreements, both spoken and written, 
were made, which completed the business. 

At la Kaing City, Taing King Ing and L,i Nga 
Hung were the pastors. I think they discoursed 
too much on the worship of idols. The vil- 
lagers sought to compel them to subscribe idol- 
money. From that time arose trouble, moving all 
the city. A mob came to tear down the chapel 
and to drive away the preachers. These two, 
seeing the case dangerous, answered all: "This 
house is one rented by Mr. Hii. On such a day 
he will come here again. If you have any 
words, say them to him." They ceased and 
waited my arrival. 

Fortunately, at the time of renting I had 
spoken exhaustively, and the written agreement 
was explicit; therefore they had no text for 
disturbance. When on my arrival I learned 
about the matter, I sat waiting at the chapel 
door for any complainants who might appear. 
People saw me, and passed by without remark. 

After a time the Tekaing (district magistrate) 
learned that there was some trouble. He was 
alarmed, and sent a messenger and police to the 



IQO HU YONG MI. 



chapel at night, compelling us to go the yamen 
to stay for three days, until the officers could 
make investigation and give exhortation to the 
people, when we might return to the chapel in 
peace. How could we foresee that from this be- 
ginning, henceforward, preachers should per- 
petually reside at the officers' yamen to preach ? 
Such is still the case at Sa Kaing, and the 
preachers are supported at the magistrate's 
charge. Each new official follows his prede- 
cessor's example. Pang Ting Hie was next 
appointed to Sa Kaing. At that time the mag- 
istrate altered a court of the yamen into a 
chapel and residence for the preachers. Sev- 
eral members were added. All were men from 
another district. The majority were criminals 
who had been committed to the yamen. The 
members exceeded in number those of any other 
district. God planned beyond our human 
thought. 

One year I, with Revs. F. Ohlinger and N. J. 
Plumb, went to Sa Kaing to see the magistrate, 
and ask him to return the former chapel, in- 
forming him that the next day we were going 
into the streets to sell books. 

The magistrate, Pang, was afraid a disturb- 
ance would be created by the foreign mission- 
aries going into the streets. It seemed, there- 
fore, ;that he organized a scheme to prevent it. 



VICTORIES WON. 191 

A crowd of retainers at the yamen went forth 
and came rushing in a riotous manner into the 
yamen as though they were outsiders, bent on 
frightening the missionaries. How did I know 
that it was a scheme? Because I saw all com- 
placent in the yamen. The women and children 
were smiling, whereas if it had been a rush of 
the populace, as it simulated, there would have 
been much terror. 

At that time the members in the district 
cities of the Upper Prefecture numbered about 
one hundred. They were ardent, zealous, true- 
hearted, with joy serving the Lord. Nightly 
they assembled in chapels to study the Scrip- 
tures, pray, and sing. They reverenced their 
pastors, and regarded affectionately the mission- 
aries as messengers from God. At quarterly- 
meeting time some often came two or three 
miles to meet me. They also made entertain- 
ment ior me. Better still, ministers and people 
would have a collection of Scripture texts which 
they did not understand, for which they waited 
my explanation. They were hungry and thirsty 
for Scripture teaching. I reflected, these people 
think the elders are all-wise. They knew not 
that I had not been through college. I myself 
was very hungry and thirsty regarding the Scrip- 
tures, and much was not clearly understood. 
These people giving me such precious .work to 



192 HU YONG MI. 

do pleased my soul; but I was also sorrowful) 
fearing many deficiencies, fearing wrong con- 
structions of the text which might endanger 
men's souls. Therefore I was very cautious be- 
fore the people, only in prayer before God very 
importunate, saying: "Lord, nothing can men 
have except it come from heaven. Would the 
Lord give blessing first to me in order that I 
might have to distribute to others, as in the 
miracle of the loaves and fishes?" 

Thanks to the Holy Spirit, who was ever 
with me to abide my true Teacher of righteous- 
ness, when I began to teach or read I per- 
ceived the might of the Holy Spirit manifest. 
With speaking, intelligence increased, inspira- 
tion and vigor. I myself was greatly profited 
and the assembly. All had increased gladness 
of heart as if in heaven. 

Sometimes persecution and troubles arose. 
Occasionally the trouble was domestic, through 
Christian members of a household keeping the 
Sabbath, or refusing to sacrifice to ancestors. 
Occasionally villagers caused the trouble on ac- 
count of the matter of subscribing to idol pro- 
cessions. 

On account of many heathen usages, relatives 
were divided, friends separated, and Christian 
workmen embarrassed by patronage removed. 
Christians working in heathen houses were sub- 



VICTORIES WON. 193 

jected to ridicule, jeers, contempt, insults, slan- 
ders, and false accusations of all kinds. It would 
be difficult to tell all. There was nothing to 
do but weep and pray and patiently endure all 
kinds of oppressions. The Church members 
with one heart mutually exhorted, comforted, 
helped, and prayed for each other, trusting in 
God's protection. All doing according to God's 
will had peace. They longed for the bliss of 
heaven. Did not this show divine grace to de- 
velop a true Church? 

One year was current the report that Chris- 
tians poisoned wells. The false accusation came 
from the Canton Province. Placards were out in 
Foochow. Every one was talking of it. Lies 
spread like a typhoon. As the native proverb 
says, "Draw a serpent, and add to it feet." 

Suddenly I heard that the city chapel at Ku- 
cheng had been torn down. Members had suf- 
fered imprisonment. My heart was very sad. 
One day a vagabond, known to me by sight, 
rushed abruptly into my house, and exclaimed : 
"The vagabonds of all the villages are coming 
to rob and arrest you. You must hastily run 
away." Having spoken, he fled. In a few 
moments I heard a knocking at the door. As I 
went to open it I saw several men about the 
door. Seeing me, they all looked as if they 
wanted to run away. A rain, which had been 



i 9 4 



HU YONG MI. 



falling, was just clearing off. I addressed the 
men, saying, " Did you knock at the door?" 
All looked at each other in silence. Again I 
asked, "Do you wish to avoid the rain?" All 
looked ashamed. One or two shook their heads 
and the company withdrew. A quarter of an 
hour afterward I saw the shop-doors all closed. 

A multitude of noisy men were in the streets. 
From every quarter came vagabonds racing to- 
ward the chapel, with intent to destroy and plun- 
der. A large crowd had assembled to witness 
the destruction, male and female, old and young. 

Fortunately, there was a man of reputation 
who came forward and announced: "You wish 
to come and plunder the chapel? In this I 
venture not to hinder you ; but whoso wishes to 
enter must first come and register names and 
surnames. Why? If, after your thieving, there 
is found no case against you, you can enjoy 
your plunder in peace. But if the magistrates 
investigate the matter, you will, according to 
your names, be held responsible. If not so, 
you will escape, and the odium of the affair will 
adhere to our ntighborhood, and implicate other 
people. That would never do." Therefore all 
the vagabonds, hearing these words, gradually, 
like the fall of leaves, dropped away. 

The proverb says, "One sound of thunder 
beats away nine typhoons." 



VICTORIES WON. 195 

Church members from another neighborhood 
soon came to say that a company was coining 
with weapons to protect me and the chapel. I 
was sorry to hear it, and sent them quickly back 
to say that I was a worshiper of God, and used 
not bloody weapons to fight; that the vagabonds 
had already retired, and I should thank them 
not to trouble themselves. 

Answer was returned: "They will surely 
come, for the outlaws will return to-night to 
trouble you. They desire to plunder you, and 
they will dare severity, because you are but one 
family here. We know that you worshipers of 
God are good-hearted, and do not injure men." 

I answered: "You men have great love to 
treat me so. 1 accept the will for the deed, 
with many kind thanks. You have learned that 
the Spirit which I worship is the Lord who cre- 
ated heaven and earth. He is very efficient — 
mightily so. He has sent messengers, heavenly 
soldiers, heavenly officers, here to protect me. 
They have saved me already. If not so I my- 
self should early have fled away. Now I invite 
all not to come, and to withdraw from their 
design." 

That night, all night until daylight, there 
were sounds of dogs barking. The next day 
people came and told me: "The vagabonds 
thought that you would be much frightened, 



196 HU YONG MI. 

and would certainly at night make your escape 
to another village with your possessions. They 
all night concealed themselves in the byways 
in wait to rob you in moving ; but your serenity 
has brought their plans to naught." 

After a few days, I heard that the Ku-cheng 
magistrate had seized the leaders of the riot 
there. The report had reached Ming Cheng, 
and alarmed the vagabonds there. 

It was strange that only that year was there 
in the summer no epidemic of any serious char- 
acter. If the Creator of heaven and earth had 
not manifested his divinity in protecting the 
children of the Church, redeemed by Christ's 
blood, then would the disciples have suffered 
oppressions innumerable, unspeakable. Truly, 
one saw God's great power manifest, destroying 
the inventions of the devil. 



CHAPTER XVII. 
HOK CHIANG DISTRICT. 

IN the fifth year of Kwang Sen, and the fourth 
month (May, 1879), on a certain evening, I 
saw Ling Ching Ting dressed in very white 
clothes, and riding on a beautiful white horse. 
Unlike his former appearance, he was full and 
robust of countenance. He rode straight into 
the open court of the Ku-cheng Church. Meet- 
ing him, I asked, "Why have you come here?" 
He said, "Purposely to invite you to go with 
me." I said, "It is now almost dark; you must 
stop with me to-night, and wait until I make 
preparation for going with you." He answered, 
"The way upward is very urgent; you must go 
immediately." I at once perceived his meaning, 
and hence did not insist on his remaining. I 
said, " You go on, and I will follow to-morrow, 
in search of you." Afterwards, when I awoke, 
I wondered what was the purpose of the dream. 
I concluded it was, that he had first died, and 
my time would soon come. 

The next day I related the dream to my wife, 
and also said that my work in Ku-cheng was 
nearly finished, and we must prepare to go 

197 



198 HU YONG MI. 

elsewhere. At one time Mr. Chandler came to 
Ku-cheng, and during a conversation he urged 
me to decide to remain longer on that district, 
because, after the labors of purchasing and build- 
ing the church, I ought to have some rest. As 
to adaptation to my health, that was certainly a 
good place ; better than any other. I had often 
heard of the work in Hok Chiang; that many 
troubles arose each year, the members disa- 
greeing with their preachers, and being slow to 
contribute for their support, often leaving the 
Church and setting up independent Churches, 
several hundred having thus gone from us. I 
often felt anxious about these things. 

Then, again, I thought to myself there are in 
Hok Chiang so many troublesome things, how 
can I take the responsibility of deciding to go 
there? 

When I came to the Conference, and the ap- 
pointments were made, my name was at first left 
on the Ku-cheng District, as before ; but strangely 
I said to the cabinet, " May I make a request?" 
Mr. Baldwin, president of the Conference, was 
surprised, and said, "What important request 
have you to make?" I answered, "To go to 
Hok Chiang." Mr. Baldwin answered, "Very 
willingly we will grant this." 

But after I said this, I regretted it very 
much. I thought, " Why was I so unwise as to 



HOK CHIANG DISTRICT. 199 

speak in this manner?" for it had the appear- 
ance at the time of being proud, self-trusting, 
boasting of my own ability, and thus in danger 
of giving offense to my brethren. 

On this account I was sad for two or three 
days, and scarcely able to eat or sleep. It was 
as though God had caused me to commence first 
to weep and fast for Hok Chiang. Although 
at the time others could not understand my true 
meaning, I did not feel very anxious about that ; 
but I truly wanted to follow God's will, that I 
might not make any mistake in what I did, 
that I might boldly trust in his power, and be 
aided in my weakness, that the work might be 
a benefit to others, and glorify God. 

When we came to the close of the Conference, 
and the cabinet met for the last time, and the 
names of all the others were fixed, I did not 
know where my name was placed. I asked, 
"Where am I appointed?" No one made 
reply, and I asked again, "Is it Hok Chiang?" 
One of the missionaries replied, "Yes; have 
you just wakened up?" I answered, "Yes; I 
have awakened ; my heart is at peace ; I know 
this is God's will." 

I at once went up to my family in Ku-cheng, 
and gladly made my preparations for leaving, 
and moved to Hok Chiang in the eleventh 
month (December, 1879). The Ku-cheng mem- 



200 HU YONG MI. 

bers did not understand that I was this year to 
be removed from the district, as my time was 
not up. When about to start, members from 
all the circuits, and the preachers, came to bid 
me good-bye. The members and preachers of the 
English Church also came to see me off. There 
were also a great many of the heathen neigh- 
bors, who started at an early hour of the day, 
and collected before the church-door to say good- 
bye. Some of the preachers went with me some 
miles on the way. 

After my arrival on the Hok Chiang District, 
I met the sons of Ling Ching Ting, and spoke 
to them about my dream of seeing their father, 
and said, I supposed it meant that my work was 
soon to be finished. They said, No, that was not 
the meaning at all; it was that I was called to 
the Hok Chiang District. [Brother Ling Ching 
Ting spent his last days on a circuit of this 
district, and lies buried there ; .hence they be- 
lieved he wanted Yong Mi to come there.] 

From Chwi Kan I took boat to Foochow, 
and in a few days after my arrival Mr. Baldwin 
departed for the United States, at the same time 
that I took a boat and went down with my 
family to the anchorage on my way to Hok 
Chiang. Unfortunately my boat was slow, and 
his fast ; so I could not keep up. My boat 
anchored on one side of the river, and his on 



HOK CHIANG DISTRICT. 201 

the opposite side. I stood a long time on the 
prow of the boat watching the light at the mast- 
head of his vessel, which was all I could see. 
The next night I reached the Church at Hok 
Chiang City. 

Although that house was old, and the cook- 
ing vessels broken, and there were only a few 
pieces of old furniture, we all said that this was 
better than the stable and maiiger in which the 
Savior rested when born on earth, and better 
also than the little house in which I formerly 
lived. 

In a few days I started out on my first round 
of quarterly-meetings. I found the members 
everywhere glad to receive me, and they treated 
me with much kindness. I thank God, my 
Heavenly Father, that he gave me the aid of the 
Holy Spirit to comprehend the true conditon of 
affairs on this my first visit among the people. 
I was granted the power of the Holy Ghost, 
enabling me to know how to do work in the 
hearts of the people, so that they became freed 
from many of their improprieties, and soon I 
had evidence of a great victory. I had one 
proof of the Spirit's power in inducing many 
of those who had set up independently to return 
to the fold of the Church. 

During the first quarter, I was with Mr. 
Chandler at the Keng Kiang quarterly-meeting. 



202 HU YONG MI. 

There were nearly two hundred persons present; 
some were baptized and received into the Church, 
and some of the independents returned. In the 
afternoon, unexpectedly the pastor of the Ha-ii 
Church, Ting Ka Sing, came in. I wondered at 
this, and said, " To-day is the Sabbath ; what 
important thing has brought you here?" He 
sighed, and said : " I was impelled to come by 
the ignorant members of my charge. They 
said, ' If a sheep fall into a pit on the Sabbath- 
day, will you not pull it out?' Seeing that 
what they said appeared reasonable, I consented 
to come." 

The object of his coming was to say that, on 
account of the wreck of a vessel a few days be- 
fore, the cargo had been carried off by the peo- 
ple of the various villages, and the owners, un- 
willing to lose their property, had brought in 
complaints to the officers, and they had sent 
soldiers to seize the parties, and require restora- 
tion. Consequently the people were all running 
away. The officers took advantage of the occa- 
sion, and imposed on many who had no part in 
the unlawful business. 

On the An Ngoi class of the Ha-ii Circuit, 
one local preacher, Ing Kii Kwok, had been in- 
cluded among those who were to be seized, and 
that day the soldiers were to be at his house, 
and arrest him, and perhaps burn his house, and 






HOK CHIANG DISTRICT. 203 

pillage his goods. The whole family was in 
great sorrow, and having heard that I was there, 
they had sent to invite me to come and direct 
them what to do. 

When I heard this I was very sad, as I had 
just arrived in the district, and was unac- 
quainted with the state of things. I did not 
know whether I ought to go or not. Conse- 
quently, I sat quietly praying, saying, " Father, 
what reply shall I give to those who have 
come?" The thought which came to me was to 
weep with those who weep. I then said to him, 
" To-morrow I will go with you." 

When we started the next morning, a few 
members accompanied us a short distance. 
One of them said to me in a loud voice: "You 
must speak to those people, and oppose them 
with a loud voice, and not use much patience. 
Your voice is too mild, the people here will not 
fear you. Now, you must speak loudly and 
boldly if you expect them to listen to you." I 
at once turned and answered : " I know how to 
fight, because I have for a long time had expe- 
rience in such matters. You need not trouble 
about this matter ; but return to your home, 
and study the sixth chapter of Ephesians." His 
meaning was, of course, that I should be like 
Samson, seizing the foxes, and sending them 
with lighted tails through the corn. 



204 HU YONG MI. 

When we had gone about three miles (ten 
li) we separated, Mr. Chandler going to the Sing 
Tong Circuit, and I with Ting Ka Sing to An 
Ngoi. As we approached, we saw the members 
from a distance, anxiously awaiting our arrival. 
When I met them, they said, " We have been 
longing for your coining as we would for a rain 
in a drouth." We sat down for a short time, 
and Ting Ka Sing soon left for Ha-ii, where he 
lived. Having thus thrown off his burden, he 
went away with a light heart. 

I at once asked the members : " What impor- 
tant business caused you to send your preacher 
for me on the Sabbath-day? Although I have 
never met yoa, I could not refuse to come at 
your invitation. Do you know for what pur- 
pose I have come?" 

They answered, "Teacher, you already know 
that we have met with great trouble, and have 
most earnestly hoped for relief from you." 

When I heard this I was very sad ; because 
they evidently trusted in me more than in God. 
Therefore, I made them more sad. I said, 
" Brethren, I am simply a man like yourselves, 
and can do but little; but in accordance with 
God's direction I have come to suffer with you 
in your suffering." When they heard this their 
faces turned pale, as though they had lost all 
hope. 






HOK CHIANG DISTRICT. 205 

Seeing this, I waited awhile, and then said 
to them : "Although I have thus come to suffer 
with you, there is help in this for you. I think 
it often happens that trouble causes distraction, 
and thus mistakes are likely to be made. I have 
come to direct you what you ought to do, to pre- 
vent your sinning and falling into the trap of 
the evil one. This is the most important thing. 
Does this meet your ideas?" 

They, feeling compelled to reply in the 
affirmative, said, " Yes, teacher, your coming is 
for good; but the officers' business is very urg- 
ent, and we want you to plan for us, that we 
may be able to get out of this trouble." 

"O," said I, "this is what you want, is it? 
You know that since I was called to the minis- 
try in my youth (some twenty years ago), I have 
taken in hand only the Lord's work, and I am 
acquainted with nothing else. If I am able, I 
shall be happy to assist you ; but as to plan- 
ning official business only, my Father knows 
how to do that. He has the power, because he 
is by right a high military General. If he is but 
willing to assist you, all these soldiers will cer- 
tainly flee away at once. It is unfortunate that 
you did not before inform me, that I might 
have sent for him." 

When they heard this, they stood and looked 
wonderingly at each other. " We have, indeed, 



206 HU YONG MI. 

heard that your father was a military official, 
but thought he was dead ; and is he then 
living?" 

Seeing that they did not understand me, I said : 
" My Father not only can do this; if he speaks 
but one word, the winds and waves of the sea 
would be still. Do you see these heavens and 
earth ? They are the handiwork of my Father. 
He can do all things. All enemies must humble 
themselves under his feet. This one is my 
Father. Do you know him ?" They all laugh- 
ingly replied, " Yes, yes !" I divined their 
thoughts. " Does he think that in this time of 
danger we have asked him here to preach to us? 
What kind of a man is he?" I then said: " Do 
you not now know my Father ? What do you 
call him?" 

They replied, of course, " We also call him ' 
Father." 

Now, I spoke quite loudly, saying: "You 
dare say you also do (call him Father) ! Where 
is your faith in him? You often say he is al- 
mighty, all-wise, and omnipresent, and that all 
power in heaven and earth belongs to him ; but 
to-day you have met with trial, and why then do 
you not put your trust in him, instead of trusting 
in man? This is truly insulting and displeasing 
to God. I know that you have been believing 
the Word for more than ten years; but you have 



HOK CHIANG DISTRICT. 207 

not grown. You have thus deceived yourselves. 
You think God is far off from you, because you 
are sunk in the affairs of the world, and sepa- 
rated from God by sin, which makes you blind, 
so that you can not see God. I now hope that 
God will cause this danger to awaken you. If 
so, it will be well. Now you are to see God's 
power manifested, that you may know that he 
is very near to us all, and always is with his 
children. To-day he will strengthen your faith, 
advancing from faith to greater faith, because I 
am God's servant, the preacher he has sent. 
Now, I have come to you, repent immediately 
of all your sins. I will first pray that your sins 
may be forgiven, and perchance you may be 
saved from this danger you fear." 

They at once wept, and confessed some of 
their sins. They said that for a long time they 
had not prayed, and confessed several other 
shortcomings. When they had finished, I said, 
" Is there anything else ?" 

They said, "Nothing else." 

I immediately knelt with the whole family 
in prayer. I then received direction from God, 
as though characters were written plainly on 
my heart : First, that their sins were forgiven ; 
second, that their property would not be taken 
away ; third, that the officers would do nothing. 
The first two I understood, but the third was not 



208 HU YONG MI. 

quite clear to me. Whether they would come 
and harm nothing, or whether they would not 
come, I could not determine. 

I at once arose from my knees, and told the 
Christians the answer I had received: "God has 
heard the prayers of his servant, and has saved 
you. Now, you should be strong in faith, and 
go to your daily work in peace." 

Not long after a person came and informed 
them that the soldiers at Ha-ii said they were 
about to start to their village, and he had come to 
inform them that they might flee in time. Then 
in great trepidation they came to me saying, 
" The officers are about to come; what shall we 
do?" I replied: "Why do you still doubt? I 
have already told you. Do you think what I 
have said was a lie just to comfort you ? Truly 
it is not. This was certainly God's direction. 
Do you not believe? If what I said to you 
is not fulfilled, you will certainly hereafter say 
that I am not a preacher sent of God, but a false 
prophet. 

"Now," I continued, "I expect to be in Hok 
Chiang a few years. It is not as though I were to 
tell you a thing to-day and run away so you could 
not find me. If this is not true, and I preach 
the gospel to you, after this how can I expect 
you to believe me? I have decided to remain 
here until next Monday, and see God's promises 



HOK CHIANG DISTRICT. 209 

fulfilled, and then go my way. You should 
have strong faith, and not doubt." 

They then seemed to awake, and said: " Is it 
really thus? We thought that you were just 
saying this to comfort us, because in former 
years the Christians at Teng Ngiang were in 
trouble, and the preacher said to them, ' Do not 
fear, no harm will come;' but they suffered ter- 
ribly. We thought what you said was just the 
same. Now you have clearly said this is of God, 
and we must fully believe and do as you say." 

That same evening a relative came and told 
them a great many frightful things to start fears 
in their minds; and they came to me again, but 
scarcely dared at once speak to me about it. 
After a little delay they introduced the subject 
by some illustration: " We hear that the soldiers 
will not come to-day, but will certainly come 
to-morrow. Now suppose they do come to- 
morrow, have you any other method to meet 
them?" 

I said, " What do you want me to do?" 

They said, " If the soldiers come we want you 
to go and see the officer." 

I said: "Why do you still fear? Is there 
still some sin you have not fully confessed ? I 
have said all I have to say to you. If there is 
anything else, it will be when God gives me other 
words for you; but now I have nothing more to 



2IO HU YONG MI. 

say. Do not trouble me any more. It is now 
late; let us all go to sleep." 

They all went out, and I felt troubled lest 
the unbelievers should not receive the promised 
blessing. If they did not obtain it, my words 
would have been in vain ; and how serious must 
be the consequences ! I decided then to pray 
all night, and ask God again to direct me. Im- 
mediately upon kneeling down, I again received, 
as it were, characters written plainly as before 
on my breast, saying : " What you have asked 
for them, I have promised to give them. What 
I promised to-day shall not fail in the least par- 
ticular." With great rejoicing I jumped up and 
went to bed and slept. 

The next morning the brethren came and 
gently opened the door twice. I asked, " Who 
is it ?" 

They said, " Teacher, are you not up yet?" 

I said, "What is it?" 

They said, "A man has come to say that the 
officers and soldiers are surely coming." 

I spoke out loudly, and motioning with my 
hand, said : " No ! No ! Last night I was sad 
lest your lack of faith might cause you to fail 
of the promise ; but after you were gone I again 
prayed, and again received the assurance irom 
the Father that he would fulfill what he had 
promised, and surely give his sustaining grace. 



HOK CHIANG DISTRICT. 211 

Now you should go in peace to your work, and 
not give yourselves any more trouble." 

They said, "Yes, we ought to believe." 

Not long after, however, their relatives and 
friends came, urging them to move their things 
and flee. This they did several times, distress- 
ing them much. 

They said, " If we do not go ourselves, should 
we not move our things?" 

I replied : "I have said all I have to say, and 
can say nothing more now. If you want to 
move and run away, it is your own business, and 
you must bear the responsibility. I will have 
nothing to with it, because I have not received 
any such directions from God." 

One of the brethren then said : " I have de- 
cided to obey God, and will not move or run 
away. If the soldiers come to carry my things 
away, I am willing to let them go." 

I asked the other brethren whether they were 
of the same mind, and fully decided. They 
spoke out and answered in a loud voice, 
a yes!" 

I then said, " This is well ; go in peace." 

From this time the brethren were happy 
and restful. I then made the adjoining villages 
the subject of prayer. I already had faith that 
all would be relieved from trouble or loss. In 
the evening, and every evening after prayer, 



212 HU YONG MI. 

I asked the brethren, " Where is the desolation 
you have feared?" They all with thankfulness 
to God replied, "Surely God is manifestly pres- 
ent in power, stirring us up and driving away 
our ignorance, increasing our faith." 

The head of the family, Kaih Kwok, exhorted 
his family, saying: "How near God is to us! 
Now we ought, with devout reverence, to pray 
to God with increasing faith. We should in all 
things trust in God, and not in men." 

On Saturday, Mr. Chandler came there to 
attend the quarterly-meeting; and on Monday, 
as we were about to start for Ha-ii Circuit, I 
first heard the sound of cannon ; and the breth- 
ren all came saying, "This morning at day- 
light all the soldiers left, and none of the ad- 
joining villages have been visited by them." 

When I heard this I was very glad, and 
thanked the Heavenly Father that he had shown 
such a great favor to his people, thus delivering 
them from all harm. I then said to Kaih Kwok 
and the others, "Now you ought to accept my 
faith;" and Mr. Chandler added, "You may 
leave your faith here with them ;" and we bade 
them good-bye and went on our journey. 

The members at Ha-ii were ready waiting 
our arrival. On Wednesday we returned to 
Keng Kiang, as the examination of the schools 
there had not been completed. When I arrived 



HOK CHIANG DISTRICT. 213 

there, none of them asked me anything (about 
matters), lest I should reprove them. They 
moved quietly about, and in their hearts trusted 
in God's method, knowing that I had trusted 
alone in prayer to God, and had come off vic- 
torious in 'the contest; and from this many were 
deeply moved, and God's power was wonder- 
fully manifested in the hearts of the people. 

1 From this time when the Church members met 
with trouble everywhere, I asked, "What do you 
want me to do for you?" They generally re- 
plied, "We only want you to pray for us." To 
which I responded, "Amen!" 

During one quarter I made a visit to Hai Tan, 
and on my way home stopped at Ngin Sen. I 
noticed that the people were very attentive to 
the preaching of the gospel. I decided to take 
the responsibility of renting a small house, at a 
rent of little more than two dollars a year; 
some furniture included cost six dollars. I 
at once informed the local assistant at Tang 
Ching Ngwong, and asked him to go to that 
place, because he was best acquainted with the 
people there. 

Again, when on the Island of Hai Tan, I 
heard of the case of a fisherman who was in his 
own village the leader of the idol-worshipers. 
This year he had gone everywhere soliciting sub- 
scriptions for building the temple to the Five 



214 HU YONG MI. 

Rulers of pestilence. He and his wife and chil- 
dren, four in all, were taken sick of fever and 
dysentery, called Ngu-ta (Five Rulers) sickness. 
The elder son died, and the relatives thought, 
"The Ngu-ta ought to have protected this man, 
and why was he taken away by them?" They 
then went to consult the idol as to the cause of 
this. The evil spirit, which was the Ngu-ta in 
the one inquired of, replied that the man had 
swindled the people by appropriating some of 
the money he had collected. They then went 
and examined the accounts, and found he had 
not done this. The sick man, hearing this, was 
very angry, saying, " Will the Ngu-ta themselves 
also lie about me?" 

There were three of them very ill, and grow- 
ing worse, speaking wildly as they lay on their 
beds. The relatives, fearing lest Ngu-ta Avould 
seize them, dared not come near to take care of 
the sick ones. ' The head man, who was sick, 
had a dream, in which he saw a great many 
fierce wild animals, which frightened him greatly. 
Suddenly he saw two persons dressed in long 
blue gowns; and the animals on their coming 
fled. 

The next day, two preachers, Ung Kwong Koi 
and Ting Ching Ngwong, came to the village on 
a preaching tour, and hearing of the sad distress 
of this family, went to see them. When they 



HOK CHIANG DISTRICT. 215 

entered the house and saw the head man lying 
on the bed, they called to him to awake. He 
looked up, and asked who they were. They 
replied, "We are preachers of the doctrine of 
Jesus." The man at once jumped up from his 
bed, and felt that his sickness had left him. 
This was what he saw in his dream of the pre- 
vious day ; the two dressed in blue were the two 
preachers of the gospel. The son and wife lay 
sick in the back room; and they called out, 
"Son, son! do not come to harm us!" The 
preacher at once went in and prayed for them, 
and they were both restored from that hour. 

The preparations had been made for sending 
out the dragon boats in pursuance of a promise 
the man had made to the Ngu-ta, as is custom- 
ary, when people are very ill; and this often at 
great expense. The man said to the preach- 
ers, " Do away with all these things." The 
neighbors dared not touch the things to take 
them away (for fear of the idol), so the preach- 
ers did it with their own hands ; and after some 
instruction, the whole family decided to become 
Christians, and they were still members of the 
Church. 

The neighbors wondered greatly at this 
thing ; and after this, persons frequently came 
from all directions, asking the preachers to pray 
for them, and many became inquirers after 



2l6 Hli YONC, MI. 

the truth. Among the believers were Taoist 
priests and exorcists, who burned their books, 
and believed on the Lord. In a short time it 
became very convenient for the preachers to go 
out on preaching tours, as there were members 
at most of the villages where they could find a 
place to spend the night. 

When we first rented a chapel at Tang Tau, 
there were many troubles constantly arising; but, 
thank the Lord, other doors were now opened 
everywhere for the preaching of the gospel. In 
two years after we rented at Tang Tau, 
they were able to subscribe several hundred dol- 
lars toward building a church, waiting for aid 
from the Missionary Society. Since I left I 
learn that they have erected a church at each of 
these places. The members are very zealous 
and happy, and I hope they may ever be the 
light of this island. At times they are set upon 
by the heathen, and their things taken ; but they 
bear it patiently. They are very diligent in car- 
ing for their preachers, and subscribing for all 
Church purposes. I made eight visits to the 
island, and saw many things to give me comfort 
and encouragement. 

Three or four weeks after this, I went to Sing 
Tong, Yong Ping, and Keng Tan, to dedicate 
churches at these three places. When I arrived 
at Ngii Cheng Church, thirty li from Hok Chiang 



HOK CHIANG DISTRICT. 217 

City, I met a number of the official members of 
several circuits assembled there. I asked them 
why they had come together there at that time. 
They all sighed, saying : " The drouth is very 
great, and the state of things deplorable. We 
all knew that you would reach here to-day, so 
we have assembled purposely to wait for your 
arrival, and ask you to pray for rain." 

I asked, "Why have you waited until this 
time, when the circumstances here are so bad? 
Why have you not been praying? You your- 
selves can pray." 

They replied, "We have been praying; but 
there is still no rain." I answered: "Jesus said, 
' O ye of little faith, why do you still doubt ? 
How long a time shall I be with you?'" 1 
added, " I shall be with you here for three days, 
to meet for prayer." 

We decided to commence the next morning, 
and send word to the members on all the cir- 
cuits to meet in their respective chapels, to ex- 
amine their hearts, confess their sins, fast and 
pray. Perchance God would have mercy on 
them, and answer their petitions. They all as- 
sembled on the three succeeding days each 
morning and evening, and at the end of the 
time the heavens were dark, and the rain fell 
for the next three days and three nights. All 
were very glad, and gave thanks to God. I 
J 5 



218 HU YONG ML 

afterwards heard that people outside knew of 
our having prayed for rain at the church, and 
when they passed by the church they turned 
towards it and said, " This rain has come be- 
cause the Christians met there and prayed." 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

CONCLUSION. 

AS an illustration of the condition of the peo- 
ple, I will relate a little experience on one 
of my pastoral visitations. The Poll Mwo 
members invited me to visit them, and I went. 
When I entered the premises, I noticed that the 
people lived in the greatest confusion and filth, 
with the cows, chickens, pigs, etc., sleeping in 
the same apartments with them. The smell of 
the animals and their offal was so strong that it 
made my head ache. 

The preacher, U Lien E, was there, and I 
spoke to them all about living in such a manner. 
"Although you have been Christians," I said, 
"these many years, living thus among the ani- 
mals, I fear your natures will degenerate, and 
you become like them." 

The preacher laughed, and replied, " Not only 
do they sleep here among the animals; but at 
night they sleep with the animals tied to them 
with ropes." 

I asked why. 

They replied, "The people work very hard 
in the day-time, and sleep so soundly at night, 

219 



220 HU YONG MI. 

that if they did not do so, the thieves, who are 
very numerous, would steal the cattle." 

I remarked that living in such a condition, 
it would seem that they would not much 
fear being cast into the sea with a millstone 
about their necks. When they hdard this, they 
laughed again. I replied to myself, saying, 
" These people, made in the image and likeness 
of God, are, through sin, brought to such depths 
of wretchedness." 

In the summer-time this filth produces mani- 
fold diseases, causing the people to go every- 
where to beseech the idols to cure them ; and to 
them they make many vows, often squandering 
all their money, and even their property, in this 
way. On account of these various diseases the 
people came from all directions to ask the 
preachers to pray for them ; and in the summer- 
time, when there is the most sickness, the number 
of inquirers increases greatly. From this grad- 
ually the gospel becomes more and more widely 
made known. Some of them, after they are re- 
lieved of their illness, make vows, and give con- 
siderable sums of money towards building 
churches. This is considered a natural result, 
as evidence of their sincerity, the same as when 
they worship the idols. Thus God's methods 
for saving the people are numerous and varied 
in different places. 



CONCLUSION. 221 

In the year 1882, in the middle of the sev- 
enth month, I received a letter saying that my 
mother was sick. I hurried home, and she was 
much pleased to see me. I felt an inward sad- 
ness for her, realizing that she had not yet re- 
ceived the clear evidence of the pardon of her 
sins, and that she was anxious about this. I at 
once said, "Have you yet heard the Savior's 
voice saying distinctly, 'Your sins are for- 
given ?' ' ' 

She sighed deeply, and wept, saying, " I ear- 
nestly long to hear this ; but my sins are so great 
that, although I have prayed for it, I have not 
as yet received an answer." 

I replied, " I will now pray for you, and God 
will answer this thirst, and with a voice from 
heaven give a reply to your prayer." 

She said, " Can this be?" 

I replied, "Surely it can be?" 

I at once bowed at the bedside, and after I 
had prayed, I went in search of a Bible. I 
brought it, and asked her what book it was. 

She said, " God's Book." 

I said, "Yes." 

I at once opened it, requesting her to look at 
it word by word, and asked her whose words 
these were. 

She replied, "God's, Jesus Christ's, words." 

To which I replied, " They truly are." 



222 HU YONG MI. 

I said, "Although you believe this, and have 
heard the ministers preach, and you have read 
it ; did you then think it God speaking directly 
to you?" 

When she heard me speaking thus, she was 
deeply moved, and said : " Why am I so stupid ? 
God have mercy on me!" 

I said : " The Lord will have mercy on you ? 
Now God is about to speak to you ; give care- 
ful attention to his voice." 

I then read i John i, 9, where it says, "If 
we confess our sins," etc. I then stopped for a 
moment, and looked about on the bystanders, 
and said to each of them : "Are you sorry for 
your sins? Do you truly repent?" 

"No." 

I then turned to mother, and said: "You are 
truly sorry for your sins, and realize that you 
have sinned against God, and God speaks only 
to you. The next word gives a precious prom- 
ise of forgiveness to those who repent. Now, 
listen: 'God is faithful and just to forgive you 
your sins, and to cleanse you from all unright- 
eousness.' Now, mother, you should open your 
heart, and with outstretched hands receive this 
free gift of forgiveness ! Do not look at your- 
self, nor your sins; but look at Jesus, who hung 
upon the cross, and shed his precious blood to 
wash away your sins." 



CONCLUSION. 223 

When she heard this she was filled with joy, 
and wept with many tears, saying: "I never 
before heard the Scriptures thus explained. 
I thank God with all my heart for his great 
salvation." From this time she was daily filled 
with rejoicing, until the ninth month, when the 
Conference had assembled at Foochow, on the 
morning of the 23d day. After Brother Sing 
Mi and I had bowed beside her bed and prayed, 
her soul departed in peace. She was seventy- 
six years of age. 

Our beloved Bishop Bowman was here at the 
time, and, with the whole Conference, attended 
the funeral. He was deeply impressed by the 
solemn occasion, and manifested much emotion. 

Resuming my district work at Pwan Tan, a 
class on the Ngii Cheng Circuit, there was a 
man there named Ting Ku *Hok. One evening 
a theater performer was killed in his village. 
The murderer ran away, and they did not know 
who he was; but the responsibility for the act 
rested upon the people of the village, according 
to the native custom. The constable sent out 
runners at once to search for and seize the mur- 
derer. They went everywhere imposing upon 
and insulting the people; and any one who 
would refuse to give them money was denounced 
as the thief. This was indeed a sad condition 
of things. 



224 HU YONG MI. 

This member, Ting Eu Hok, was one of the 
well-to-do residents of the village, and of course 
feared the oppressions of the runners more 
than others, and was very sad. He was formerly 
a very poor man, but a zealous member of the 
Church. His circumstances improved, and he 
loaned quite a sum of money to complete the 
church they were building. After a few years, 
the members failed to pay back the money he 
had advanced, and he felt offended at them. He 
withdrew lrom the Church, and not having been 
present at any of the quarterly-meetings, I did 
not know him. 

When he met with his trouble, I happened 
to be at Sing Tong, holding the quarterly-meet- 
ing. I was detained there in that small, dark 
chapel for a few days; so I did not at once go 
on to the Ngii Cheng Circuit. The people 
there were anxiously looking for me, but I did 
not come ; so this brother sent his younger 
brother for me with a sedan chair, and told me 
all about the trouble. This brother's name was 
Eu Ki. I asked him how he wanted me to 
assist them. 

He replied: "Teacher, we want you to pray 
for us." I said, "Is this all?" He said, "Yes." 
I said, "Well; you know what you ask; may 
God grant you his grace." 

I also said: "You and your brother, when 



CONCLUSION. 225 

poor, were zealous in the service of God, and 
the Lord bestowed upon you the blessing of 
worldly goods; but unfortunately your hearts 
have not increased in thankfulness, but become 
filled with worldliness. This is a dangerous 
condition, and a great sin. Now, I hope this 
thing will awaken you that you may know that 
the riches of this world are not to be trusted 
in. You should lay up your treasures in heaven, 
for in earth the moth corrupts and the thieves 
steal. The covetous and wicked runners are 
about to come and carry away your worldly 
goods, to waste them in gambling and opium- 
smoking. Which is the better way? You 
should now vow before God diligently to live 
godly lives and do good, and to your utmost 
power faithfully fulfill the commands of the 
Bible to the end." 

He replied, "Yes." 

I then kneeled down and prayed with him 
and the others present. When we had prayed, 
I felt the Holy Spirit moving me to speak to 
him, and said, "God has heard my prayer in 
your behalf, and will save you; do you know 
it?" 

He replied, "Yes." 

I said again: "The trouble you fear has in- 
deed ended, and will not come again to you. 
You should know that to-day, here in this little, 



226 HU YONG MI. 

old, dilapidated house, the Lord has surely 
saved you. Do you truly believe this?" 

He answered, "Yes." 

I said, "You should recall these words." I 
asked him this question three times, and each 
time he replied, "Yes." I also repeated it that 
he should remember the words; for I thought he 
did not feel deeply the meaning of the occasion, 
or the words spoken ; and finally, when pressed 
with repeated questions as to whether he under- 
stood what I had said, he said nothing. 

I then said: "I fear you Hok Chiang Chris- 
tians do not fully believe in prayer and its 
power with God. When this trouble has passed 
over, you will doubtless think it a matter of small 
importance or simply good-fortune that you 
were saved, and will not remember that the 
result came from the manifestation of God's 
power in the little old house (chapel). I fear, if 
you think only thus, that you will not be long 
at peace, and will soon and easily be drawn 
away by the ridicule of others. For this reason 
I asked you three times, and urged you to 
remember those words; because every word I 
spoke to you was of the Holy Ghost, and very 
true, and will be fulfilled; do you now under- 
stand? When I come to you the next quarter, 
I shall surely ask you where your salvation at 
this time came from." 



CONCLUSION. 227 

He answered, " I now understand, and will go 
home thankfully." I went with him as far as 
Ngii Cheng Chapel, and there he left me for 
home. 

In a few days the magistrate ordered the 
corpse of the theater performer who had been mur- 
dered to be taken up, and the runners were not 
allowed to impose upon and get money from the 
people as usual, and thus ended the matter; and 
all the villages had peace. I think the people 
were all glad, of course, but they did not know 
to thank God for deliverance ; but we know that 
the Lord not only saved the member, but all 
the other villagers from trouble, so that not one 
was disturbed. In this, God's boundless grace 
exceeded the limit of our prayers, and I was 
more and more rejoiced, and thanked God on 
behalf of the members and all the others. 

Before the time of the next quarterly- meeting, 
the members sent their preacher, Ting Neng 
Chiek, to Hok Chiang to say to me, "Teacher, 
the words you spoke at Sing Tong are clearly 
remembered by us, and we often talk about 
them. We truly believe that our salvation came 
from your prayers in the little old house there." 

At the following quarterly-meeting, Brother 
Eu Hok invited the people to hold the meet- 
ings in his house ; and on Monday after, gladly 
canceled the old debt owed him by the Church. I 



228 HU YONG MI. 

then said, "Now you should lay up your treasure 
in heaven, and never forget this experience." 

At another time, at the close of a quarterly- 
meeting on Hai Tan, I took a boat from Ngin 
Len home to Hok Chiang. When darkness came 
on we were some distance from Hai Kan, and 
the tide was running out. The anchor should 
have been cast out, but was not, and the boat 
of its own accord went on and reached Hai Kan. 
The boatmen were in great amazement, and 
said, "We have been boating these many years, 
but never before knew a boat to know the chan- 
nel itself." When we had reached the landing, 
I was about to go ashore. The captain insisted 
upon my remaining, as it was very dark, some 
rain falling, and the way very muddy. He said, 
"The inn is dirtier than our boat, and if you 
will accept of our accommodations, we will 
be glad to keep you over night and have you 
preach." 

I agreed to this, and had my things brought 
into the boat again. They said, "You need not 
use your clean bedding, lest you get it soiled in 
our dirty boat; we have a clean bed for you." 
I consented, and they gladly provided a supper 
for me that evening. Alter eating, I preached to 
them, and they listened attentively, and seemed 
to understand, and we did not get to bed until 
midnight. 



CONCLUSION. 229 

The next morning we discovered that during 
the night the cover of the boat had been removed 
and my baggage, with bed and things, stolen. I 
at once sent for the constable to search for my 
goods. When he came he said this boat must 
be kept here, and placed in charge of the officials. 
I was unwilling that this should be done. While 
we were thus discussing the matter, multitudes 
gathered about, and many said that in a boat not 
a pin could be lost or stolen, and that the boat- 
men themselves were the ones at lault, and 
should be held responsible. But I was unwill- 
ing, without having made a careful examination 
of the facts, to let the matter go to the officials, 
lest the boatman should be seized and impris- 
oned. I thought the boatman (the captain) was 
honorable, and I feared he would be falsely 
accused. I thought it better to wait awhile, 
until full examination could be made, lest I 
might afterwards regret my inconsiderate and 
too hasty action. 

I said to the captain, "When the tide favors, 
you go away, and when outside, examine your 
men on the boat." I wrote a letter and sent 
with him to the preacher at Hai Tan, asking 
him to find out what kind of people these boat- 
men were, and I started on home. 

The people all ridiculed me, saying that I 
was silly not to speak a word to regain my 



230 HU YONG MI. 

baggage, which was worth several tens of dol- 
lars, and besides to tell the boat and men to go 
away. "This," they said, "is a stupid presiding 
elder." I then went a few li, to the Ngu Tok 
Chapel, and asked the preacher, Ting Ming 
Sang, to go and inform the officer of the affair, 
asking him to search for the thieves, although 
the boat was gone. He returned answer that, 
the boat having gone out, there was nothing to 
be done (the boat and all its belongings would 
of course be good prey for the yamen leeches, 
and they would be glad enough for a chance to 
get so much and do a little for me). Some of 
the members were also disgusted with me, say- 
ing they never saw a presiding elder who would 
bear so much, when the thieves were so evidently 
in the boat, to let them go, and then ask us 
here to go in search of the offenders. I thought 
to myself, " It is fortunate that the things were 
my own ; for if they had belonged to others, 
and I had acted in this way, I would have 
incurred very great hatred from them. They 
would have said, 'The man does not regard 
other people's things as being of any account.' " 
When I arrived home, my wife asked, "Where 
is your luggage?" 

I replied, "It was stolen by a thief." 
She said in reply, " It will certainly be 
brought back and restored to you." 



CONCLUSION. 231 

In a few days the Hai Tan official sent, ask- 
ing me to make out a list of my goods and their 
value. 

I replied, "Wait a little;" because .the Hai 
Tan preacher had, as yet, sent me no reply, and 
I did not want to take any further steps until I 
had heard from him. I prayed that this mys- 
tery might be solved; that I might be prevented 
from doing any wrong, or dealing unjustly with 
any one. 

In a few days the thief stole somebody else's 
things, and was seized and very badly beaten. 
The neighbors, thinking this was the man who 
stole my things, sent for me to come and con- 
front him, and, if he would not confess, hand 
him over to the proper authorities for punish- 
ment. Owing to the numerous calls upon my 
time in attending the various quarterly-meetings, 
I could not get away, and did not go. 

Later on, the thief ran away to Foochow, and 
was there recognized and at once handed over 
to the Hai Wong for punishment. The thief 
regretted what he had done, and said to his 
friends, "It was unfortunate that I stole that 
Christian's things." He directed his friends 
secretly to go to his home and gather up all of 
my things, and restore them. No one, however, 
dared bring the things to me. 

Afterwards the Hai Tan preacher sent word 



232 HU YONG MI. 

that he had inquired about the captain of the 
boat and his men, and the replies they gave 
made many believe the men were guilty of its 
robbery. I said: "This is an unjust accusation. 
I have already had true information concerning 
the matter. I have learned that a noted thief 
from Sin Tan, named Ting Kank Kank, stole 
the things, and is now in custody in the Hai 
Wong's yamen in Foochow, receiving punish- 
ment, and is about to be sent to the Min mag- 
istrate for further investigation." In a few 
days the thief was sent to Hok Chiang for trial 
before the district magistrate. When I heard 
this, I sent a man to see the thief, and he fully 
acknowledged the theft, saying: "I am already 
sorry, and before you sent to ask, I had sent 
many times to have the things returned ; but 
no one dares to assist me by taking the things. 
Now I ask you to bear a little longer with me, 
and I will send again." 

When I heard this, I put the matter aside as 
of small importance, and did nothing more about 
it. In ten or fifteen days I heard that this thief 
had broken from prison, and run away with his 
kia, or wooden collar, manacles and all, and was 
nowhere to be found. 

After about a month the thief brought my 
things, and secretly placed them before the 
chapel-door, at Ngu Tak, and the preacher, Ling 



CONCLUSION. 233 

Ming Sang, found them and sent them to me 
by a Church member. This was in direct ful- 
fillment of what my wife said when I first re- 
turned home. The unbelievers who heard this 
were greatly amazed at this return of the things 
(for the matter had spread everywhere). This 
matter in all its curious turns was of great profit 
to all the members. I have since learned that 
the boat captain and his men have become 
Christians at Ngin Sen. 

The Hok Chiang District, over which I thus 
traveled for several years, lies on the sea. The 
people are ignorant and wicked, and often, for a 
very small reason, they get angry, and utter very 
evil and blasphemous words, and fighting ensues ; 
and the one who is injured, unwilling to endure 
it, employs vagabonds to go and seize people 
belonging to the enemy's village whom they 
keep in confinement and treat shamefully. 

From this the people of one village seize 
those of another, and they retaliate in the same 
manner, and thus take revenge on each other, 
and then they exchange; and if one party has 
no prisoner to exchange, a large amount of 
money is necessary to ransom those held pris- 
oners. Thus each stirs up the other to anger, 
and whole villages go forth with their firearms 
and engage in the conflict. The neighboring 
villages come from every direction to witness 



234 H U YONG MI. 

the fight, as though it were a theater, and un- 
fortunately take pleasure in this sad spectacle. 
After the battle, parties are killed, houses are 
torn down, the crops destroyed, and destruction 
carried to the utmost extent of the power of the 
victors, and both parties do all they can to harm 
each other. 

After this the matter is carried to the officers 
for litigation and settlement. Usually the par- 
ties who are charged with killing before the 
officers are not the ones who really committed 
the deed, but some noted or wealthy persons in 
the village, or the only sons of well-to-do fami- 
lies. The amount of money used in these vil- 
lage broils and lawsuits is beyond calculation, 
as the officers, runners, and mediators use the 
opportunity to make money out of the trouble. 

The parties or family to which the persons 
killed belonged, must press their suit and urge the 
officials to arrest the parties charged. The officer 
sends a great many runners to try to catch the 
man, or get the people to deliver him up. The 
parties charged then go and hire poor and mis- 
erable persons for the purpose, and hand them 
over, saying, "These are the persons." 

They answer, "These are not the ones.'' 

But the opposite party insist that they are ; 
and the persons thus coining forward openly ac- 
knowledge that they are the offenders. 



CONCLUSION. 235 

The officers, of course, know that these 
are not the real offenders ; but after a cursory ex- 
amination, they hand them over for imprison- 
ment, and order some persons of note to act as 
mediators. The matter thus gradually settles 
down and cools off. The vagabonds are, how- 
ever, all the more bold, as no one will bring 
charges against them, because they have no 
money, and their lives are not of sufficient con- 
sequence for any one to care to meet the ex- 
pense of a lawsuit against them. 

Thus it happens that they lie in wait along 
the roadside to seize people and hold them for 
a ransom. They treat the parties they seize in 
the most outrageous manner — beat them se- 
verely with rods of iron or bamboo, tie them up 
with ropes, fasten their feet in stocks, and try 
to compel them to write a letter to friends for 
money for their ransom. (On one occasion, 
when I was at Siek Keng, a Church member, 
named Siek Chiong Kong, was thus seized and 
maltreated.) 

The vagabonds often assemble in a body just 
after dark, and fall upon a village and carry away 
the property, such as pigs, cows, chickens, 
and even persons, if they can get hold of any 
one ; and almost nightly the people of the small 
villages are thus distressed, and call in agony 
for help from their neighbors. If complaints 



236 HU YONG MI. 

are made to the officers, it is difficult to get any- 
thing done to punish the offenders; for the un- 
derlings will come and extort money from them 
before doing anything, thus adding to their 
wretchedness. 

There is another kind of vagabonds; namely, 
servants of the tax-collectors. They always 
impose on the small villages, and even after the 
taxes are all paid, they demand more money. 
If no money is given them, they cut them- 
selves on their faces or elsewhere with bits 
of broken bowls or glass, and go back to the 
officer and say, " I was attacked and cut in 
this manner by the people while collecting the 
taxes." Thus the people are compelled to give 
a great amount of money to these vampires. 
This is called a heinous offense against the rep- 
resentative of the officials. 

The manager of the tax-office sends out 
each year branches, and establishes a stall or 
counter in each neighborhood or large village 
for the payment of the taxes. I urged the Chris- 
tians promptly to pay their dues and thus prove 
they were good subjects or people. They an- 
swered, "We have already offered to pay the 
taxes, but the collectors are unwilling to re- 
ceive them." I wondered at this, and could 
hardly believe that those who had come on pur- 
pose to collect would not take it when offered. 



CONCLUSION. 237 

The explanation of it was, that they said they 
must wait until the whole village was ready to 
come at one time and pay them. But of course 
there were in the village poor people, and some 
property, the owners of which had died, and it 
was impossible for all to be ready at one time. 

From this it came to pass that a custom was 
established of the whole village paying an extra 
sum to buy off the officials. If the whole sura 
is not forthcoming within a specified time for 
receiving the taxes, the matter is reported to 
the officials as a serious offense against the 
taxes, and soldiers are sent to punish the peo- 
ple. Then the people are not only compelled to 
pay this extra squeeze money, but must pay 
money for the soldiers' traveling expenses. Thus 
it naturally follows that the people are very poor. 
It is as if a tiger ate all the meat from a body, 
leaving only the bones. 

In the Hok Chiang District, as well as else- 
where, there are in most villages some Church 
members, and it is difficult to avoid being mixed 
up in these troubles. Besides this may be 
mentioned the matters of money for idol pro- 
cessions, repairing graves and ancestral halls; 
and the sea-land is refused them, as well as other 
properties. The strong impose upon the weak; 
three impose upon two, and two impose upon 
one; the rich impose upon the poor, the great 



238 HU YONG ML 

upon the mean. The members are generally 
uneducated, and when they get into trouble they 
know not how to manage ; hence, in every lit- 
tle thing they must come and consult their 
preacher. If a preacher there does not take 
pity on them, and examine into their affairs, the 
right in their cases can not be gained, and it is 
difficult to raise them from their degradation and 
bring them up to the Spirit's guidance; and we 
can not get near to these poor people. They 
listen to the deep spiritual truths preached as 
though they were afar off. To me it seems 
the Savior did not, in his plan to save men, 
come only half way down from heaven, but be- 
came the friend of sinners. 

The meaning of this is very deep. The 
Lord has given us all some degree of wisdom, and 
we should use our best judgment and all meth- 
ods to save all classes of the people. If we 
sow the good seed even in the rich earth, when 
we have not cleared out the stones and the 
weeds, it will not be likely to prosper. How 
then can we, under these difficulties, bear the 
heavy burden of bringing this people to Christ? 
Thank God who has given us superhuman power 
and wisdom to meet all these difficulties! 

Sometimes we can help the people by ad- 
dressing to the officials a statement of the facts 
in the case; and I am thankful to say that in 



CONCLUSION. 239 

most instances where I have appealed to the 
officials they have shown a great willingness to 
do the right thing by our people. We may hope 
that these bad customs and disturbances will 
erelong pass away, and the condition of the 
Church improve. Thus the members may, 
through trust in the Lord, be settled in the 
faith, and their heathen neighbors be led to re- 
spect the Church, and the vagabonds and dis- 
turbers will vanish. By what power may this 
be accomplished ? Whenever I hear of these 
serious troubles I always tremble, and realize 
how weak and unable I am to do anything. 

During the four years I was in the Hok 
Chiang District I did not trouble the consul 
once, and did not present many of these vari- 
ous difficulties to the missionaries ; but exhorted 
the brethren to join with me in earnest prayers 
and tears before God, trusting entirely in his 
presence and omnipotence in all worldly and 
spiritual matters, thus manifesting the hand of 
God among the people, that they might fully 
believe and give God the glory. 

It was thus that with these preachers and 
official members we gained the victory, and ob- 
tained joyful harvest. During each year there 
were received into the Church and baptized over 
a hundred adults; and they made advance in 
all the collections, and were not in debt. If the 



240 HU YONG MI. 

preachers' money was behind I went and assisted 
them in bringing it up, that they need not be 
worried about it. 

In several places we erected churches by the 
assistance received from Rev. John F. Goucher. 
We had no trouble in these places except at Siek 
Keng Tan. All were very patient and prayed, 
and when I arrived at Keng Tan I heard that 
the village elders were waiting to call upon me. 
Before they came I sent for them to come, and 
thus withdrew and ended the trouble ; God's 
power had already gained the victory. In the 
city we built a church, the money being furnished 
by the Missionary Society. The people were 
planning a great disturbance because the gentry 
and the Lieng Kak were determined that we 
should not succeed. Thank God that he guided 
me so that I knew how to use good methods in 
order to overthrow their evil designs. I scarcely 
exerted myself at all, when they changed so 
that peace was restored. When the matter 
came to light, I thought the affair was remark- 
able, and wondered at the outcome. I realized 
that the deep and wondrous wisdom and power 
of God was beyond our full comprehension. 

There are, of course, those in the Church 
who, from their ignorance and bad disposition, 
give trouble and cause confusion. In attempt- 
ing to change such persons, and bring them to 



CONCLUSION. 241 

a faith in Christ, I dare not do so in my own 
strength, but offer them something better in 
exchange ; and thus they will not become dis- 
pleased or angry, or revile one. I thank the 
Heavenly Father that, whatever he has directed 
me to do, I have fully completed it ; and hope 
the Lord will strengthen and establish the faith 
of the people, that they may know the height, 
depth, length, and breadth of the love of Christ; 
and their faith not be at last in vain. I know that 
there are some who are experienced in this bat- 
tle, and are already in the way of victory. But 
they need not put their trust in any particular 
person for help; therefore, I find great peace. 

My four years being up, I was glad to take 
my appointment, and leave the Hok Chiang 
District. Many wondered at me, thinking that I 
was an unfortunate and unhappy person, not 
finding joy in rny work. Both in Ku Chiang 
and Hok Chiang, just as I had completed those 
large central churches, I was taken away, with- 
out getting the benefit of them, thus working 
for others as though a slave. Many feeling this, 
came and spoke to me about it. This only 
gave me greater joy and peace. I answered, 
"For this I thank the Heavenly Father, and 
count it a great favor he has granted me in thus 
permitting me to follow in the footsteps of 
Jesus." This is my true desire. 



242 HU YONG MI. 

In the year 1883 there was much trouble in 
the Conference, and the Lord sent Bishop Mer- 
rill to Foochow. His example, words, and ac- 
tions, his coolness and deliberation, showed a 
broad heart and great experience. His words 
were few; but. his manner moved people beyond 
what they could think ; so that all could not 
help continuing to remember him. He loved 
us very much, and took the greatest pains in 
making the appointments (which it was very 
hard to do satisfactorily to all parties). He ap- 
pointed me to the Hinghwa District. I was 
pleased, thinking perhaps I should go from there 
to heaven, as I was then very sick, and perhaps 
nearing my death. I was anxious to use this 
decaying body to follow out the path before me. 

I reached Hinghwa with my family, and 
when I saw the members, I found them all 
quiet. With the preachers, however, there 
seemed generally to be a state of fear and 
doubt, weakness and lack of zeal. They ap- 
peared to have allowed the wind of self-support 
to drive them as Paul was driven, into the sea 
of Adria ; and had prepared their boats for leav- 
ing the ship. As to the state of things among 
the people, there were everywhere many tem- 
ples and monasteries, and many, both men and 
women, were Vegetarians. The very worst peo- 
ple were often the most devoted Vegetarians. 



CONCLUSION. 243 

As they believed that the rejection of meat was 
meritorious, and would make up for their sins, 
therefore they sinned with the greatest im- 
punity. 

The people were divided into two factions, 
known as white and black, from their carrying 
flags of those colors as banners when they went 
out to fight. In former years the thieves and rob- 
bers were very numerous, and fighting was more 
common than now. The officers punished them 
once, after which they subsided to some extent, 
so that the state of things is much as in the 
Hok Chiang District. 

The pressure on the Christians to compel 
them to pay money for idolatrous purposes is 
greater than anywhere else. I noticed that on 
the Kongsa Circuit, the people waited until the 
crops of the Christians were about ready for 
harvest, when they sent a party with their 
knives and spears, and took the crops by force. 
Formerly they did this by night; but later they 
grew more bold, and did it openly, seeing the 
Christians had no redress. 

At one time the members there moved away, 
and formed a village composed entirely of Chris- 
tians; but even this attempt to get rid of op- 
pression was foiled by their wily neighbors. 
Unfortunately, when I reached there, I could 
not speak the dialect or understand that Ian- 



244 HU YONG MI. 

guage. The members seemed thirsting every- 
where to hear me, and I promised them I would 
speak; so I used the Foochow dialect twisted a 
little, and when I was through, I perceived that 
they did not understand much. I then said to 
them, " How will that do for Hinghwa lan- 
guage?" 

When they heard this they laughed, and an. 
swered, " We can all understand, except the Sien 
Nien and the Tai ya." 

The former stands for chu niong, and the lat- 
ter for nii kiang (women and children) in the 
Foochow dialect. So great is the difference. 
The women are usually very earnest, and ask 
some member to translate for them. I generally 
had Brother Ling Ming Chiong to accompany 
me on the district as interpreter, and I had to 
thank him for a great deal of assistance in my 
weakness and sea-sickness. 

At the time of the French invasion I was on 
the Kia Sioh Circuit, with the Kang Paek class, 
holding the quarterly-meeting. On Monday I 
decided to go to Pwo Hia, Lanyit, and the other 
places; but the members did all they could to 
dissuade me and prevent my going. They said : 
"At present the thieves and robbers are every- 
where, carrying on their depredations much 
worse than usual. This time you must certainly 
not go." 



CONCLUSION. 245 

Seeing their persistence, I said, " I am not 
going into any such dangerous places as you 
speak of, you may rest assured of it." 

They wondered at this, and said, " Where 
are you going?" 

I said, "I am going to Ma tai Mwi (the End 
of Matthew) — do you know that road? — because 
there is great peace there." 

They did not know what I meant. After 
waiting a while they seemed to understand a lit- 
tle, and said, "May the Lord be with you and 
preserve you !" 

Brother Ming Chiong was unwilling to part 
from me, as also two or three members ; and 
they went with me over the dangerous roads on 
the district. Although we met with robbers 
several times, we experienced no harm. We 
saw them disturbing others, but they did not 
come after us. Thanks to God for his promise 
to be with us and protect us ! I felt a perfect 
assurance in my mind that we could go on 
without harm, and I felt a much greater peace 
of mind while thus on the way in the line of 
duty than when sitting still anywhere, and hear- 
ing the alarming reports which were constantly 
coming in. And in all these things the prom- 
ise Jesus gave in the last verse of Matthew, to 
be with me to the end, was fully fulfilled. 
These words are our rock of strength. 



246 HU YONG MI. 

Unfortunately my strength began soon to 
fail, and at the end of one year 1 was obliged to 
leave the district, and was removed to Foochow, 
and put in charge of the Tieng Ang Tong Cir- 
cuit. The Lord knew that I was already unable 
to preach. The English physicians, Drs. Adam 
and Rennie, had pity on me in my weakness, 
and did all they could for me. The trustees of 
the Tong Chin flospital, Mr. Smyth and Mr. 
Shaw, also recommended me to enter the hos- 
pital to look after the sick. As I could not 
preach, there seemed to be no other way than to 
follow the doctors' advice, and try and take care 
of myself. My support was promised me from 
the hospital; and, of course, as I could not 
preach, I could not feel satisfied to receive the 
money subscribed by the members. 

For these reasons I went to the hospital, and 
had charge of the Tieng Ang Tong Church, do- 
ing more or less, as I was able. 

While in the hospital, I felt the time hang 
heavily on my hands, so that a month seemed 
like a year. I always asked my Heavenly 
Father what he would have me do in the hos- 
pital, and did not receive a distinct reply or 
direction. 

I thought, however, and said to myself: 
" You think your work is done, do you, and only 
want to go to heaven and rest? I fear you ex- 






CONCLUSION. 247 

hort others too much, and do too little yourself. 
You have not yet fulfilled the duty of caring for 
the fatherless and the widow, and now the 
Heavenly Father gives you this opportunity to 
make up what you lack in this respect. Thus 
you may use wordly things to bestow in charity 
on others, lest when the judgment-day comes 
you may hear the Savior say, 'I was sick and 
in prison, and yet you did not minister unto me,' 
and what answer could you give to his ques- 
tion ? Could you say that you had fulfilled your 
duty?" 

I thus felt I could bear patiently to remain 
in the hospital and await God's command in 
regard to anything else he might have for me 
to do. 

Through the kindness of Mr. Baldwin, and 
by letters, I was urged to record the grace and 
experience of my lite for the benefit of others. 
I was glad to do this with the object of making 
known God's great mercy to me, lest I should 
hide my light under a bushel. But I found I 
was too weak to do much, and my brain seemed 
unequal to the task, either to take up the pen 
or to think anything. At times I would, as it 
were, force myself to think, and after a little 
while my thoughts would all be gone, or else I 
would be sicker than before, and I would have 
to stop for a time. So this matter has been de- 



24S HU YONG MI. 

layed, and it has been impossible to do their bid- 
ding in this respect promptly. I trust they will 
be merciful to me, and not be offended that this 
work has been on hand so long. 

It happened fortunately that a young man, 
Wong King Chiang, who entered the hospital to 
study medicine, was able to do writing for me; 
and afterwards I looked over, changed, and cor- 
rected what he wrote down, and I thank the 
Heavenly Father, that he added to my strength 
sufficiently to enable me to attend to this, and 
what I have been able to write has been in an- 
swer to prayer. 

The name of this book I think should be Seng 
han Ting Ngiang, or "The Way of Faith Illus- 
trated. " I have, of course, not given much in 
detail, and sometimes I fear the meaning will 
not be clear. 

Only last year (1886, April 18th), was I able 
to finish a complete copy. On the 23d, unex- 
pectedly, a fire broke out in the hospital at eight 
o'clock in the morning, by which the whole was 
destroyed. This was sad, indeed ; but no one 
of the sick was burned. I was able to bring 
out this copy. It seemed strange that on Sat- 
urday evening I was at home, not intending to 
return to the hospital; but for some reason I 
felt that I ought to go, and as late as nine 
o'clock went down. 



CONCLUSION. 249 

The next morning, when I was just dressed 
and starting for church, the fire broke out, and 
I just got this book and left. Had I not gone 
there for the night, it would have been de- 
stroyed. 

When the work was complete, the difficulty 
was to get it translated ; and I spoke to Mr. 
Plumb, and arranged with him about it; but he 
did not find time at first, and afterwards he was 
ordered away to Japan for his health. 

During the summer I was led to call on Mrs. 
Cowles, to inquire about King Eng, and in con- 
versation, spoke of some of my experiences, 
which she said she would like to write; and I 
said I had been preparing an autobiography at 
the request of Brothers Baldwin and Goucher. 
She then offered to translate some of it for me, 
and the work was commenced and continued 
until she went home ; and Mr. Plumb was able 
to take it up and complete it. I must also 
thank Mr. Wilcox for his suggestions and a plan 
of arrangement of the order in which events 
should be recorded. I thank all these brethren 
for their kind aid, and the translation I intrust 
to my dear Brother Baldwin for correction and 
use for the good of the Church. 

From the time of my appointment here at 
Foochow I realize that I have met with a great 
many troublesome and trying things. Although 
J 7 



250 HU YONG MI. 

this has increased my bodily weakness, my heart 
has not been moved by them. These have 
caused me to look upon all the things of the 
world as vanity. As the Bible says, "Though 
our outward man perish, yet the inward man is 
renewed day by day." I feel all the time as 
though my soul would fly away, but my time has 
not yet come. Now faith and patience must be 
maintained, and Christ's command must be kept 
until the end, that I may yet glorify him. I 
pray that the Lord's promise that he will come 
again and receive me unto himself may be ful- 
filled to me; and all the glory and power be 
unto God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ, 
unto the end of the world! Amen. 

While I am in the world I ask the prayer of 
all, and send my greetings to all the bishops 
and ministers of the Church of Christ, and every 
member of Christ's body, and pray that Christ 
may recompense all to whom I am indebted in 
love. Amen. 



LAST YEARS. 251 



LAST YEARS OF HU YONG ML 

From the Hinghwa presiding eldership 
Brother Yong Mi was transferred, in 1884, to 
Foochow, owing to ill-health. He had a year 
in the pastorate at Ching Sing Tong, alter which 
he went to the hospital. At first he was there 
for treatment; but after a while it was arranged 
that he should look after the interests of the 
patients, and act as "house steward," which 
office he filled with great acceptability. Dr. 
T. B. Rennie, the physician, had the utmost con- 
fidence in his honesty and disinterestedness, and 
says he never knew a Chinaman that he could 
more fully trust. He gained the respect of the 
patients, and the highest esteem of the Managing 
Committee, as well as the physicians in charge. 
His career ended there only with the burning 
of the hospital in 1886, on which occasion he 
displayed the utmost self-possession, and suc- 
ceeded in getting every patient out before he 
consented to leave the building. He saved noth- 
ing of his own. 

At this time he was also pastor of Tieng Ang 
Tong, preaching as often as his health would 
permit. He was continued pastor of this impor- 
tant charge until he finally took a superannuated 



252 HU YONG MI. 

relation in 1890. His health did not improve, 
and he continued his work in great bodily weak- 
ness. Frequently, when Saturday evening came, 
he felt quite unable to enter upon the Sabbath's 
work; but his earnest prayer was that he might 
have strength for another message, and again 
and again he was specially helped, so he preached 
with great power; but when the services were 
over he had to be aided by some one in order to 
reach his home. His moral influence over the 
charge was very great, and his interest in the 
general work never slackened. His counsel and 
advice were sought by preachers and members 
from all over the Conference, and his house was 
a central point for visitors from all parts of the 
work. To all the varied questions concerning 
the difficult problems of Church management, 
he gave most wise advice, and drew largely 
from his own wide experience through many 
years during which he had been presiding elder 
of all the districts in the Conference, and had 
filled most of the leading appointments. 

Consumption had now securely fastened itself 
upon him, and he suffered great pain in his lungs. 
His loving wife often urged him not to do so 
much, saying that the Heavenly Father knew 
his heart and desire to serve him; but his zeal 
never abated, and as his strength grew less his 
earnestness increased. At this time, as presiding 



LAST YEARS. 253 

elder of the Foochow District, I was intimately 
associated with him, and often I sought his advice, 
and received from him much valuable assistance. 

One experience of his at this time is worthy 
of imitation. On one occasion he heard Brother 
Wilcox preach on the subject of bad habits, 
and especially the use of tobacco. This he had 
never before seen his way clear to give up, but 
now it appeared plainly his duty. He never 
hesitated a moment, and at once sent his pipe 
as a present to Brother Wilcox. It was charac- 
teristic of him to do whatever was clearly duty, 
regardless of what it might cost him. 

On one occasion, when complaints were 
brought against his brother, Hii Sing Mi, and 
attacks made, as he thought, unjustly, he de- 
fended him before the Conference. The preju- 
dice was very strong against his brother, and this 
noble act cost him many friends, so that his 
influence in the Conference was much weakened. 

At the Conference of 1891, when Bishop 
Goodsell was present, he finally consented to 
take the step which he had so long dreaded 
and postponed, so that now, for the first time, 
after more than thirty years of active service, 
his name appears in the superannuate relation. 

About this time he was greatly cheered and 
encouraged by the return of his beloved daughter, 
King Bng, from the United States, where she 



254 HU YONG MI. 

had been for eight years studying medicine. 
It had often seemed doubtful whether he would 
ever have the privilege of seeing this daughter 
again, and her return at this time of declining 
health was a great comfort to him. With release 
from labor and the responsibilities of the pas- 
torate, under the loving and intelligent care 
of his daughter, he at times improved to such 
an extent that hopes were entertained of his 
recovery. 

One very pleasant event which took place 
while King Eng was at home was the building 
of a new and comfortable house in a lovely situ- 
ation, overlooking the river, where the unin- 
terrupted south breezes made it very cool and 
comfortable in summer. In this quiet and com- 
fortable retirement it was hoped he might yet 
enjoy a number of years, and the prospect was 
such that, at the end of two years, it was de- 
cided that his daughter might return to the 
United States and complete her studies. This 
was in 1892. Since that time she has gradu- 
ated from the Medical College of Philadelphia, 
and will soon return to China to engage in the 
work to which her life has been consecrated, 
only to see her father no more on earth. 

It was not long after King Eng's return to 
the United States that Brother Yong Mi's health 
began again to show signs of complete failure, and 



LAST YEARS. 255 

he expressed some regrets that he had consented 
to her leaving him. His health and strength 
were variable, the hot weather suiting him best. 
When King Bng left, the second daughter was 
at home, and to her and her mother she in- 
trusted her beloved father, confident that he 
would have good care. He soon became fully 
reconciled to the absence of his daughter, as he 
felt that it was for the best. His own work was 
done, and his comfort was nothing compared 
with her completing her medical education, and 
thus preparing herself for a life of usefulness in 
the Master's cause, in a service which he regarded 
equally important as the calling of the ministry. 
In a month after King Eng's departure, the 
second daughter was also called away, her hus- 
band having secured a good position in a bank 
in Amoy, and it was necessary that she move 
to that place. This was a heavy blow to him, 
and he was loath to give her up, but finally he 
consented, saying: "I have intrusted all my in- 
terests into the hands of my Heavenly Father, 
and all will be well. I will give myself no more 
trouble about worldly affairs." 

He then devoted himself to the careful in- 
struction of his younger children. Although 
his house was a long distance from the church, he 
always attended services on Sunday, when pos- 
sible, and had a regular afternoon service held 



256 HU YONG MI. 

at his own house, which was attended by the 
neighbors and others in considerable numbers. 

His new home, as his former one had been, 
was a center for visitors from all quarters. The 
preachers from all the districts came to him as 
before, with their various perplexing questions, 
persecutions, etc., to whom he always said: 
"Take these matters to the Lord in prayer, be- 
lieving prayer. Do not trouble the missionaries 
or the consul with such things. My work has 
always been done by prayer and the aid of the 
Holy Spirit. It is only by prayer and fasting 
that we can please God." 

His leisure hours were spent in reading his 
Bible, and at prayer-time he gave brief exposi- 
tion to his family of the portions read. Very 
often during the night, when waketul, his 
thoughts were expressed aloud, and sometimes in 
long sermon-like discourses, in connection with 
which he occasionally sang a familiar hymn. 

After about a year, in May, 1893, he began to 
spit blood, and this increased, until it resulted in 
a very bad attack, from which he never rallied. 

Dr. Sia, his old-time friend, now often came 
in to see how he did, and cheer him up. On 
one occasion he asked him, " Do you now be- 
lieve in God with all your heart?" to which the 
prompt reply was, "Yes, with all my heart." 
They then sang together, "We praise thee, O 



LAST YEARS. 257 

God," and bowed in prayer. He was deeply 
moved, and at times clapped his hands in praise 
and thanksgiving. 

About this time some old friends, who had 
become estranged, came to him acknowledging 
their faults, and all past differences were for- 
gotten and forgiven. 

Many of the students and others kindly came 
in and watched with him every night, and the 
best possible care was given him. 

A special friend had a remarkable dream a 
few days before his death. It was that of a very 
beautiful star going down over the mountains, 
and great numbers of children arrayed in white, 
shouting and clapping their hands. 

When the dream was rel ted to him he said, 
"This indicates that my star of life is going 
down, and I shall soon be gone." 

He became weaker and weaker, until he was 
unable to swallow, and Dr. L,yon was sent for. 
He asked how long he had to live, and whether 
he should take his medicine any longer. "No," 
she replied; "you have no more need of medi- 
cine." She told him that she had a special re- 
quest to make of him, that when he reached 
heaven and saw her parents he should ask them 
to call her home to them soon. 

When Dr. Sites came in he said, "I leave my 
family here in your care, and you must be their 



258 HU YONG MI. 

teacher." When asked if he had peace, "O 
yes," he replied, "great peace." 

He asked his wife to have two students sent 
for to wash his body and comb his hair, that he 
might be neat when he appeared before his 
Maker; to which his wife replied, "We will at- 
tend to all that for you, so you need not worry." 

Anticipating that when the last struggle came 
he might be in much distress, and make a great 
noise and thus disturb the neighbors, he asked 
that the doors might be closed and everything 
be kept as quiet as possible. His earnest prayer 
then was that he might be delivered from severe 
pain at the end, and his prayer was wonderfully 
answered. 

At one time he asked for a mirror, and when 
he had looked at himself he said: "I look some- 
thing like Lazarus. This frail body, for which 
you are furnishing nourishment as though I was 
a beggar, will soon pass away, and then I will 
be only a spirit. I will be with you, even though 
my body has gone." 

When near the end he asked for a pencil and 
paper, but his hands were too weak to write, and 
he could only make a few signs, indicating that 
the Lord had come. He then raised his hands 
up, placing them in the attitude of the Savior on 
the cross, signifying a prayer that the Savior 
would receive him, and while in that position 



LAST YEARS. 259 

friends joined in singing, and his spirit passed 
away in great peace. 

His happy and peaceful end made a most 
wonderful impression on all present in the 
chamber of death. His face shone with a ra- 
diant beauty. Death brought no fears to him, 
and he could truly have said: "O death, where 
is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" 

While his body was still in the house the chil- 
dren felt no fears, as children often do under such 
circumstances. His departure had been so peace- 
ful that they could scarcely realize that he was 
really gone. 

Thus passed away one of the most remark- 
able Chinese Christians the Church has yet had 
among its members, and it is our earnest prayer 
that many more such noble Christians may be 
raised up to become the standard-bearers of 
King Immanuel, to plant the cross on every hill- 
top and in every valley of this great empire, 
where the fields are already white unto the 
harvest. 



